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THE 

PORTRAIT 

OF 

SAINT PAUL; 

OR, THE 

TRUE MODEL 

FOR 

CHRISTIANS AND PASTORS, 

Translated from a French Manuscript 

OF THE LATE 

-Rev. JOHN WILLIAM DZ LA FLECHERE, 

> WAR OF MADELEi'. 

TO WHICH IS ADDJ^D, 

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE AUTHOR, 

BY THE 

REV. JOSHUA GILPIN, 
Vicar of Rockwardine, in the County of Salop* 



THIRD EDITION. 



Be ye Followers of me, even as I also am of Christ— 1 Cor. xi. !» 



LOND ON: 



VRTNTED FOR LONGMAN, HURST, REES, AND 
OR ME, PATERNOSTER ROW, 

By J. and W. Eddowes, Shrewsbury. 

1807. 



£ 



o 

TO 

h JAMES IRELAND, Esquire,' 

X 

A OF BRISLINGTON, NEAR BRISTOL, 

i 

THE 
FOLLOWING WORK IS 
RESPECTFULLY ADDRESSED, 
AS A MONUMENT 
OF THE LONG AND INTIMATE FRIENDSHIP, 
WHICH SUBSISTED BETWEEN HIM 
AND THE AUTHOR: 
AND 
AS A PUBLIC ACKNOWLEDGMENT 
OF THE VERY LIBERAL 
ASSISTANCE AND SUPPORT, 
WITH WHICH HE HAS FAVOURED 
HIS TRULY OBLIGED 

AND OBEDIENT SERVANT, 

THE TRANSLATOR, 







IJVTR OB UCTIOJV. 



X HE following work was begun, and nearly 
completed, in the course of ML de la Flechere's 
last residence at Nyon ; where it formed a valuable 
part of his private labors, during a long and pain- 
ful confinement from public duty. On his return 
to England, he suffered the manuscript to He by 
him in a very loose and disordered state ; intend- 
ing, at his leisure, to translate and prepare it for 
the press. In the mean-time, he entered upon 
the arduous task of revising and enlarging a French 
poem, which he had lately published at Geneva, 
under the title of La Louange, and which was re- 
printed at London, in the year 1785, under the 
title of * La Grace et La Nature. The second 
appearance of this poem was speedily followed bv 
the dissolution of the author. 

Soon 

* This French poem, upon which the author bestowed unusual 
pains, has not yet obtained that public notice, which it assuredly 
deserves. 



Vi INTRODUCTION. 

Soon after this melancholy event had taken 
place, Mrs. de la Flechere, in looking over the 
papers of the deceased, discovered the first part 
of the Portrait of St. Paid, with the perusal of 
which she favored the translator ; who, finding it 
a work of no common importance, was readily in- 
duced to render it into English. From time to 
time, different parts of the work were discovered ; 
and though the manuscript was so incorrect and 
confused, as frequently to stagger the resolution of 
the translator ; yet a strong persuasion that it was 
calculated to produce the most desirable effects, 
encouraged him to persevere till he had completed 
his undertaking. 

It is scarcely necessary to inform the intelli- 
gent reader, that the Portrait of St. Paul was ori- 
ginally intended for publication in the author's 
native country, to which its arguments and quo- 
tations apply with peculiar propriety. It may be 
more necessary to observe, that, had the life of 
M. de la Flechere been prolonged, the traits of 
St. Paul's moral character would have been render- 
ed abundantly more copious and complete* 

The translator cannot but rejoice in the favor- 
able reception, which this work has already met 
with in the world ; and he sends it abroad, the 
third time, under the influence of a cheering hope^ 

that 



INTRODUCTION. vil 

that it will essentially conduce to the extension 
and establishment of Christ's Kingdom in the 
earth. He will only add, that it contains 
the author's last and best thoughts upon some of 
the most important subjects, that can occupy the 
human mind. 



THE 



THE 

AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 



M 



ANY celebrated writers have offered excel- 
lent treatises to the public, some on the character 
of a true christian, and others on the duties of a 
good pastor. It were to be wished, that these two 
objects might be so closely united, as to fall under 
the same point of view : and to effect such an union 
is the design of this work, in which may be seen, 
at one view, what were the primitive christians and 
the apostolic pastors ; and what they are required 
to be, who are called to follow them in the progress 
of piety. 

As example is more powerful than precept, it 
was necessary that some person should be singled 
out, who was both an excellent christian and an 
eminent minister of Jesus Christ. The person we 
fix upon is St. Paul, in whom these two characters 
were remarkably united, and a sketch of whose 
wondrous Portrait we endeavour to exhibit in the 
following pages. When this Apostle is con- 

sidered as a christian, his diligence in filling up the 

duties 



ZII8 ALTHOR'S PREFACE. I* 

es of his vocation, his patience in times of trial, 

tg£ in the midst of dangers, his pe- 
ace in wtrii-dom his 
char i c aether, constitute, 
nirable model for every christian. And 
d we regard him as a dispenser cf the mysteries 
of God, his inviola tachment to truth, and 

from rana- 
n and in .\ce. deserve the imitation of 

r oi the Gospel. 

The Holy Scriptures furnish materials in abun- 
:or the present work, T> Apostles 

irom chapter viii. containing little else than a nar- 
ration c kb of St. Paul, or an abridgment 
:iis sermons and apologies. The new Testa- 
ides the Acts, contains twenty-two 
ot book ere composed by 

ith all the frankr. liled 

..telary and ail the personal detail 

into when writing, 

./icommon variety of circumstances, to his 

frier. m 3 and liis spiritual child: 

It is on sue is most likeiv 

and it is on such oc- 

. that the moral painter may take an author 

in the most interesting pogj in order to deli- 

racy, his sentiments, his circuni- 

ct, 



SZ THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. 

Let it not be said, that, in proposing this 
Apostle as a model to christians, we do but cast 
discouragements in the way of those, who are at an 
immense distance behind him, with respect both 
to grace and diligence. The masterly skill, that 
Raphael and Rubens have discovered in their 
pieces, serves not to discourage modern painters, 
who rather labor to form themselves by such grand 
models. Poets and orators are not disheartened 
by those chef-(Poeuvres of poetry and eloquence, 
which Homer and Virgil, Demosthenes and Ci- 
cero, have transmitted to posterity: why then 
-should we be discouraged, by considering the 
eminent virtues and unwearied labors of this great 
Apostle ? The greater the excellence of the pattern 
proposed, the less likely is the labored copy to be 
incomplete. 

It is granted, that all the faithful are not called 
to be ministers, and that all ministers are not ap- 
pointed, like St. Paul, to establish new churches : 
but it is maintained, that all christians, in their 
different states, are to be filled with the piety of 
that Apostle. If the most inconsiderable trader 
among us is not allowed to say, " I deal only in 
*< trifling articles, and therefore ought to be in- 
" dulged with a false balance" — if such a trader 
is required to be as just in his shop, as a judge on 
his tribunal ; and if the lowest volunteer in an army 

is 



THE AUTHOR'S PREFACE. xi 

is called to shew as much valor in his humble post, 
as a general officer in his more exalted station ; 
the same kind of reasoning may be applied to the 
christian church : so that her youngest communi- 
cant is not permitted to say, " my youth, or the 
" weakness of my sex, excuses me from exercis- 
" ing the charity, the humility, the diligence, and 
" the zeal, which the Scriptures prescribe." 

It should be laid down as an incontrovertible 
truth, that the same zeal which was manifested by 
St. Paul for the glory of Got), and the same cha- 
rity that he displayed, as an Apostle, in the very 
extensive scene of his labors, a minister is called to 
exercise, as a pastor, in his parish, and a private 
person, as father of a family, in his own house. Nay, 
even every woman, in proportion to her capacity, 
and as the other duties of her station permit, should 
feel the same ardor to promote the salvation of her 
children and domestics, as St. Paul once disco- 
vered to promote that of the ancient jews and gen- 
tiles. Observe, in the harvest-field, how it 
fares with the laborers, when they are threatened 
with an impetuous shower. All do not bind and 
bear the weighty sheaves. Every one is occupied 
according to their rank, their strength, their age, 
and their sex ; and all are in action, even to the 
little gleaners. The true church resembles this 
field. The faithful of every rank, age, and sex, 

have 



xii THE AUTHORS PREFACE. 

have but one heart and one mind. According to 
their state, and the degree of their faith, all are 
animated to labor in the cause of God, on 1 SR 
endeavouring to save either communities, families, 
or individuals, from the wrath to corn 6 ; as the 
reapers and gleaners endeavour to secure the rich 
sheaves, and even the single ears of grain^ frCm 
the £atherin£ storm. 

If, in the course of this work, some truths are 
proposed, which may appear new to the christian 
reader, let him candidly Appeal, for the validity of 
them, to the Holy Scriptures, and to the testi- 
mony of reason, supported by the most respectable 
authorities, such as the confessions of faith adopted 
by the purest churches, together with the works of 
the most celebrated pastors and professors, who 
have explained such confessions. 

Among other excellent ends proposed in pub- 
lishing the following sheets, it is hoped, that they 
may bring back bigoted divines to evangelical 
moderation, and either reconcile, or bring near to 
one another, the orthodox professor, the imperfect 
christian, and the sincere deist. 



THE 



THE FIRST TRAIT 

IN THE MORAL CHARACTER OF 

ST. FA 117 In 



His early Piety. 

A HE great apostle of the gentiles bore no resemblance to 
those, who reject the service of God., till they are rendered 
incapable of gratifying their unruly passions. He was mind- 
ful of his Creator from his early youth, and as an observer 
of religious rites outstripped the most exact and rigid pro- 
fessors of his time:: so that the regularity of his conduct, the 
fervor of his devotion, and the vivacity of his zeal, attracted 
the attention of his superiors in every place. Observe the' 
manner in which he himself speaks on this subject, before 
-the tribunal of Festus : My manner of life from my yoiah, 
tvhich v:as at the first among mine oivn nation at Jerusule???, 
know all the Jews, nhkh kneiv ffisftotn the beginning, (if they 
would testify) that after the sir ait est sect of our religion I lived 
a pharisee (a). Having occasion afterwards to mention the 
same circumstances, in his epistle to thetjalatians, he writes 
thus: Ye have heard of my conversation in time past, hoiv I 
profited in the jews religion above muny my equals in mine cv:n 
nation, being more exceedingly .zealous of iloe traditions cf v.y 
fathers (b). And to what an extraordinary pitch of excel- 
lence he had carried his molality, may be inferred from the 
following short but solemn declaration, which was made in 
the presence of persons who were very well competent to 
have convicted him of falsehood, had there been found the 
least blemish in his outward conduct: Men and brethren, I 
have lived in all good conscience before God, unto this day (c}„ 
Such was the early piety of St. Paul ; and such was the 
righteousness, in which he trusted, when through zeal for 
the church and state, -of which he was a member, he .perse- 
cuted christians as disturbers of the public neace. 

B As 

(a) Acts xxvi. 4, 5. .(b) GaU> \5, U. (< ) Acts xsm. 1. 



'2 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

As we have seen the beautiful side of this apostle's early 
character, let us now consider his defects. As a member of 
the Jewish church, he was inspired with zeal ; but that zeal 
was rigid and severe: as a member of society, his manners 
•were probably courteous ; but on some occasions his beha- 
viour was tyrannical and inhuman : in a word, he possessed 
the whole of religion, except those essential parts of it, 
humility and charity. Supercilious and impatient, he would 
bear no contradiction. Presuming upon his own sufficiency, 
he gave himself no time to compare his errors with truth : 
and hence, covering his cruelty with the specious name of 
zeal, he breathed out threaterdnvsand slciughtei against the dis- y 
ciples of the Lord (d). He himself, speaking of this part of 
Lis character, makes the following humiliating confession. 
/ wus a blasphemer, and a persecutor, and injurious (e). / 
verily thought with myself, that I ou^ht to do many things con- 
trary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth. Which thing I also 
did in Jerusalem, and many of the saint's did I shut up in 
-prison, having received authority from the chief priests ; and 
when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them. 
And J punished them oft in every synagogue, and compelled 
them to blaspheme; and being exceedingly mad against them, I 
persecuted them even unto strange cities {t). 

Nevertheless, this rigid pharisee, who carried his devo- 
tion to bigotry, and his zeal to fury, had an upright heart in ' 
the sight of God. / obtained mercy, says he after his con- 
version, because I did it ignorantly in unbelief (g) ; imagin- 
ing, that when I persecuted the disciples of Jesus, I was 
opposing a torrent of the most dangerous errors. 

Piety is that knowledge of God and the various relations 
he stands in to man, which leads us to adore, to love, and 
obey him, in public and in private. This great virtue is 
the fir>t trait in the moral character of St. Paul; and it is 
absolutely necessary to the christian character in general, 
since it is that parent of all virtues, to which God has 
given the promise of the present life, and of that which is 
to come. But it is more particularly necessary to those, 
who consecrate themselves to the holy ministry; since 
being obliged, by their office, to exhibit before their ilock an 

example 

(d) Actsix, 1. (e) 1 Tim. i. 13. (f) Acts xxvi. 9—11. 
is) 1 Tim, i. 13. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 3 

example of piety ; if they themselves are destitute of god* 
they must necessarily act without any conformity to 
the sacred character, they have dared to assume. 

If Quintilian, the heathen, has laid it down as a general 
principle, that it is impossible to become a gdod orator 
without being a good man; surely no one will deny , that 

e considered as the first qualification e^se 
t i a christian speaker. Moms. Reques, in his Evangelical 
Pastor, observes, that (i The minister, by his situation, is a 
(t man retired from the world, devoted to God, and called 
" to evangelical holiness. He is/' continues he, r *accord- 
" ing to St. Paul, a man of God, i. e. a person entirely con- 
" secrated to God ; a man of superior excellence ; a 
" man, in some sense, divine : and to answer, in any de- 
4C gree, the import of this appellation, it is necessary that 
" his piety should be illustrious, solid and universal/* 
Without doubt this pious author had collected these beau- 
tiful ideas from the writings of St. Paul, who thus addresses 
Titus upon the same subject : A minister must be blameless 
as the steward of God; not seff-wiUej, not soon angry, not 
given to tv hie, no striker, not given to filthy lucre : but a lover 

jpitality, a lover of good men, sober, just, holy, temperate ; 
holding fast the faithful word, that he may be able by sound 
doctrine, both to exhort and to convince, the gainsay ers (a). He 
must use sound speech, that cannot be condemned : in doctrine 
shelving uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity; that he who is of 
the contrary part, may be ashamed, haveng no evil thing to say 
of him. (i) 

A pastor without piety disgraces the holv profession, 
which he has made choice of, most probably, from the same 
temporal motives, which influence others 'to embrace the 

) of the law, or the profession of arms. If those, who 

were called to serve tables, were to be men of honest report, 

full of the Holy Ghost and wisdom (k), it id evident, that the 

same dispositions and graces should be possessed, in a more 

eminent degree, by those, who are called to minister in 

things. When thou art converted, said Christ to Pe-er 
strengthen thy brethren (1). 

B2 No 

Tit. i. ~— 9. (i) Tit. ii. 7, 8. (k) Acts vi. 3, 

Luke xxii. 32. 



A TH« PORTEAIT'OF ST. PAUL. 

;No srghtcan be more absurd, than that of an impenitent 
infidel engaged in calling sinners to repentance and faith. 
Even the men of the world look down with contempt upon 
a minister -of this description, whose conduct perpetually 
contradicts his discourses, and who, while he is press- 
ing upon others .the necessity of holiness, indulges himself 
in the .pleasures of habitual sin. Such a preacher, far 
■iro;-n being instrumental in effecting true conversions 
among his people, will generally lead his hearers into the 
same hypocrisy, which distinguishes his own character : 
since that,, which was said in ancient times, holds equally 
true in .the present day, Like people, like priest (m). Luke- 
warm pastors make careless christians ; and the worldly 
; p?eacher leads his worldly hearers as necessarily into 
carnal security, as a blind guide conducts his blind followers 
•into the ditch. And to this unhappy source may be traced 
the degenerate manners of the present age, the reproach 
under which our holy religion labours, and the encreasing 
iriumphs of infidelity. 

The natural 'man, saith St. Paul, receivelh not the things of 
the spirit of God : for they are foolishness unto him ; neither 
can tie know them, because they are spiritually discerned (n). 
Now, if a minister, who is destitute of scriptural piety, is 
counted unable to comprehend the doctrines of the Gospel, 
how much less is he able to publish and explain them? 
And if those, vvho live according to the vain customs of the 
world, have not the righteousness of the pharisees ; with 
what propriety can they be called, I will not say, trim 
ministers, but even pious deists ? 

Though every candidate for the sacred ministry may 
net be in circumstances to declare, with St. Paul, / have 
lived in all good conscience before God unto this day : yet all 
who avpire to that important office, should, at least, be 
able to say with sincerity ; Herein do I exercise mysetf, to 
have always a conscience void of offence toward God, and to* 
ward man (o). Such were the morals and the conduct of a 
Socrates and an Epictetus : and worshippers like these, 
comhi'r from the east and from the west, shall enter into the 
kingdom of heaven, xvhik the children of the kingdom shall 
le cast out into outer darkness (p.), 

(m) Hos. iv. 9. (") 1 Cor. it; 14. (o) Acts xxiv. !G, 
(p) Matt. viii. 11, 12. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 5 

NOTE L 

WHEN I first undertook the translation of the valuable work, 
Which is here presented to the public, it was the desire of several res- 
pectable persons, that il should come out accompanied with some ac- 
count of the truly venerable author. That such au account might be 
generally interesting and beneficial, I was fully persuaded; but a 
consciousness of my inability for such an undertaking disposed me 
rather to decline engaging in it. At length, overcome by the repeated 
intreaties of my friends, I determined, as far as possible, to comply with 
their wishes ; not, indeed, by writing a complete life of the late reve- 
rend J. W. cfe la Fiechere ; but by subjoining biographical notes to se- 
veral of the most principal traits in the moral character of St. PauL 
Not long, however, after this determination was made public, some me- 
moirs of his life were collected and published by a man of uncommon 
eminence in the christian world.. Some parts of this work I read with 
much satisfaction, and particularly those pages, which were furn 
by Mr. Benson, who seems perfectly to have understood the character, 
he endeavoured to exhibit. Here I should have dropt my design, as 
entirely useless, had not several of the author's most esteemed friends 
insisted, that I should proceed upon my proposed plan ; in couse- 
quence of whose earnest solicitations, the following notes are offered 
as a kind of supplement to the account, that has already appeared. 

This eminent minister was born at Nyon, in Switzerland, in the 
year 1*7*29-, and was the youngest son of Colonel de la Fleehere, 
whose family is one of the most respectable in the Canton of Berne, 
and a branch of an earldom of Savoy, He passed the early part cf 
his life at Nyon, where he soon discovered an elevated turn of mind, 
accompanied with an unusual degree of vivacity. After having made 
a good proficiency in school learning, he was removed with his two 
brothers to Geneva, where he was distinguished equally by his. su- 
perior abilities and his uncommon application. The two first prizes 
for which he stood a candidate he carried away from a number of 
competitors, several of whom were nearly related to the profess 
and on these occasions he was complimented by his superiors in a 
very flattering manner. During his residence at this place, he 
allowed himself but little time, either for recreation, refreshment, or 
rest. After confining himself closely to his studies all the day, ho 
would frequently consume the greater part of the night in noting 
down whatever had occurred, in the coarse of his reading, peculiarly 
worthy of observation. Here he acquired that true classical taste, 
which was so frequently and justly admired by his intimate friends, 
and which all his studied plainness could never conceal. Here also 
he laid the foundation of that extensive and accurate knowledge, for 
which he was afterwards distinguished both in philosophical and theo~ 
logical researches. After quitting Geneva, he was sent by his father 
to Leutzbourg, a small town in the Swiss Cantous, where he not only 
acquired the German language, but diligently prosecuted bis other 
studies, to which he ever discovered a passionate attachment, 
his return from this place, he continued some time at home, studying 

B3 



O THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

the hebrew language and perfecting his acquaintance with mathe- 
matical learning. 

His early piety was equally remarkable with his early attainments. 
From his childhood he was impressed with a deep sense of the 
majesty of God, and a constant fear of offending him. His early ac- 
quaintance with the Holy scriptures guarded him, on the one hand, 
from the snares of infidelity, and preserved him, on the other, from 
many of the vices peculiar to youth. His conversation was modest, 
and his whole conduct marked with a -degree of rectitude, not usual- 
ly to be found in early life. He manifested an extraordinary turn for 
religious meditation ; and those little productions which gained him 
the greatest applause, at this early period, were chiefly of a serious 
tendency. His filial obedience and his brotherly affection were ex- 
emplary ; nor is it remembered, that he ever uttered one unbecom- 
ing expression in either of those characters. He was a constant 
reprover of sin ; and his modest freedom in this respect is said once 
to have offended a mother whom he tenderly loved. While she was, 
on some occasion, expressing herself in too warm a manner to one of 
the family, he turned his eye upon her with a gentle reproof. She 
was displeased with the modest reprehension, and repaid it with 
some seventy, which he received with the utmost submission, mak- 
ing only the following reply ; When I am smitten on one cheek, and 
especially by a hand I love so well, I am taught to turn the other also. 
This expression was not employed with an air of bravado, but with a 
look of so much tender affection, that the indignation of Iks mother 
was instantly turned into a look of pleasing admiration. 

Those who are set apart by God for eminent services in his 
church, are frequently distinguished, in the early part of their lives, 
by striking peculiarities, which awaken in all around them an ex- 
pectation of something extraordinary in their future character. Of 
this kind was the following circumstance. During the early part of 
M. de la Fiechere's residence at Geneva, his sister, Madame de 
Botens, who had taken a house in that city for the convenience of 
her brothers, was visited by a widow lady from Nyon. This lady was 
accompanied by her three sons, who were not the most happily dis- 
posed, and whose improper conduct at this time provoked her to so 
iiJicommon a degree, as to extort from her a hasty imprecation. 
Our pious young student was present upon this occasion, and so 
struck was he with the unnatural carriage of this exasperated mo- 
ther, that, instantly starting from his chair, he addressed her in a 
very powerful remonstrance. From the following scripture, Parents,. 
provoke not your children, tfc. he reasoned with her in an affecting and 
pointed manner. He observed and lamented the difficulties of her 
situation; but entreated her to struggle against them with discre- 
tion and not with impatience. He exhorted her to educate her 
children in the fear of God, and to second such education by her 
own pious example. And after assuring her, that her conduct, on 
the pr&sent occasion, had filled him with the utmost horror, and that 
'he could not but tremble for the consequences of it, he concluded his 

address 



THE PORTRAIT 0? ST. PAUL. • i 

a J J: arming her fears, lest the imprecation she had uttered 

oved by some unexpected family affliction. That same 

i .-':dow, in her return to Nyon, embarked upon the lake, 

ritaken with a tremendous storm and brought to the 

very point of perishing. In the midst of her danger, the words of her 

yeung prophet, as she ever afterwards termed M. de la Flechere, 

eased upon her mind. But they shortly returned 

upon her in a mo. \ Le manner, with the melancholy intelligence, 

tnat two of her sons were lost upon the lake, and the third crushed to 

de at j at one of the gates of Geneva. At this time our author was not 

e than fourteen years of age. 



I 



TRAIT II. 

His Christian P^'j/* 



T has been made sufficiently plain, under the preceding 
article, that St. Paul was possessed of a good degree of piety 
i his very infancy, Having been brought up in the fear 
of God by his father, who is supposed to have been a zeal- 
ous pharisee, he was afterwards instructed at the feet of 
Gamaliel, a pious doctor of the Law, to whose wisdom and 
moderation St. Luke has borne an honorable testimony (a). 
And so greatly had he profited in his youth by these inesti- 
mable privileges, that, touching the righteousness, ivhzch is of 
the Law, he was blameless. But this piety was not sufficient 
r the new Testament. 

To become a christian, and a true minister of the Gospel, 
it is necessary to have, not only the piety of a sincere deist, 
or or' a devout jew, as St. Paul had before his conversion, 
but also those higher degrees of pietv, which that apostle 

possessed, after he had received the gift of deep repentance 
toward God and living faith in Jesus Christ. The basis of 
piety, among the jews, was a knowledge of God, as Crea- 
tor, Protector, and Rewarder : but, in order to have christian 

piety, it is necessary that to this knowledge of God, as Crea- 
tor, Sec. should be added that of God the Redeemer, God 
the Destroyer of all our evils, God our Saviour ; or in other 
words, the knowledge of Jesus Christ. Tins is life eternal, 
they might knovj Thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, 
U&om thou hast sen: (b). 

But 

(a) Acts v, 34. (b) John xvii. 3. 



8 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

But who can truly know, I will not say his Saviour, but 
merely his need of a Saviour, without first becoming ac- 
quainted with his own heart,, and receiving there a lively 
impression both of his sin and his danger? A student in 
theology, who has not yet submitted himself to the maxim 
of Solon, know thyself ; and who has never mourned under 
that sense of our natural ignorance and depravity, which 
forced Socrates to confess the wsnt of a divine instructor ;. 
— a candidate for holy orders, I say, who is wholly unac- 
quainted with himself, instead of eagerly soliciting the 
imposition of hands, should rather seek after a true under- 
standing of the censure, which Christ once passed upon the 
pastor of the Laodicean church : Thou art wretched, and> 
miserable, and poor, and blind T und naked (c). 

If a young man steals into the ministry without thSjr 
knowledge, far from being able to preach the Gospel, lie 
will not even comprehend that first evangelical principle,. 
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdo?n of 
heaven (d). And instead of devoutly offering up to God 
the prayers of an assembled congregation, he will con- 
stantly begin the sacred office by an act of hypocrisy, in 
saying — Almighty Father, we have erred and strayed from thy 
ivays like lost sheep. We lutve offended, against thyjioly Laws* 
There is no health in us. But Thou, O Lord, have 
mercy upon us, miserable sinners. After making these con- 
fessions in public, when he is interrogated in private res- 
pecting that misery and condemnation, under a sense of which 
lie so lately appeared to groan, he will not scruple immedi- 
ately to contradict what he has so plainly expressed: thus 
discovering to every impartial observer, that when he prays 
in public, he prays, either as a child, who understands not. 
what he repeats ; or as a. deceiver, who appears to believe,, 
what he really gives no credit to, and that merely for the 
sake of enjoying the pension of a minister, and his rank in 
society. 

What is here said of ministers, is equally applicable to 
christians in general. If any one dares to approach the sa- 
cramental table, there to make a profession of being re- 
deemed from eternal death by the death of Christ, before 
he is deeply humbled under a, sense of the condemnation 
due to his sin : can such a one be said to perform an act of 

piety ? 
(c) Rev, iii. 17. (d) Matt. v. 3. 



THE PORTRAIT OF 3T PAUL. 9 

piety ? Is he net rather engaged in performing an act of 
vain ceremony and presumptuous dissimulation in the pre- 
sence of God ? The feigned humiliation of such a com; 
nicant, would resemble that of a rebel subject, who, without 
anv consciousness that his actions had merited death, she 
c;.-t himself, from motives of interest, at the feet o: 
prince, and affect 10 rejoice under a sense of that unde- 
served elemenev, which' permitted him to live. -All our 
professions of faith in Christ afe tinctured, more or les ; , 
with hypocrisy; unless preceded by that painful convic- 
tion terrors, sace alone can cordially flow those 
humiliating coi ■ , with which we are accustomed lo 
in our sacred services. 

The true christian, and conseque ic true minister, 

is constrained to cry out, With :;. Paul, when he discovered 

purity of Tehovah's Law and the greatness of his own 

lavj u spiritual, and demands an obedience 

correspondent to its nature ; but I turn car i writer \ 

for what 1 would, la not ; hut tdkeH I hate, that I do. 

in me, : ^ood if.. 

O wretched man, tJiat I am ! who skull deliver mz fro m the 
body of this death ( r - 

fn I nner the true penitent, weary ar. 3 ~ la* 

den, makes his approaches to the Saviour; a:;., while he 
continues to implore his grace and favour, a:; i .: 

5 change takes place in his soul. His groans are sudde 
turned into songs of deliverance, and he is enabled to a.\ 
the triumphant language of the great apostle : I ' tluuik Cod, 
tare rist our Lord ; for the lam of the spin: qf '..;': 

'i i Christ Jetus hath made me free from the law of din and 
dea: frefore now ao condemnation to the:,., u 

are in Christ J-. after the flesh, but after ibe 

it if). 

Every true follower of Christ, therefore, and espech 
every true minister of the Gospel, has really experien 
the evil of sin, the inability of man to free himself from si 

., and the efficacy of that remec iued the 

christians with so extraordinary a degree or purity, power 
and joy. And in testimony of the virtue of this sovereign 

rem 
(e) Rom. rii, U— 24. (f) Rom, ruL u 1, 2. 



10 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

remedy, every such follower has a right to declare with his 
happy predecessors, We give thanks unto the Father, icho Ikiih 
made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in 
light: who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and 
hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son ; in whom 
we luive redemption through his blood y even the forgiveness of 
sins (g). 

When a preacher is possessed of christian piety ; or in 
other words, when he has made his peace with God, by 
that deep repentance which enables us to' die unto sin, and by 
that living faith which unites us to Christ, he naturally in- 
vites the world to embrace a Saviour, who has wrought for 
him so wonderful a deliverance : and this invitation he en* 
forces with all the power and warmth, which must ever 
accompany deep sensibility. After having believed with 
the heart to the obtaining of righteousness, he is prepared 
to confess with his lips, and to testify of his salvation: 
crying out, as sincerely as Simeon, but in a sense far more 
com pleat, Lord, now lettest Thou thy servant depart in peace ; 
for according to thy word, mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 
(S Here/ 5 says Mr. Ostervaid, " may be applied, what was 
u spoken by our blessed Lord — A good man, out of the good 
rc treasure of his heart, bringeth forth good things. Erasmus 
€< speaks the same thing — Nihil potentius ad exitandos 
" bonos affectus, quam piorum affeetuum fontem habere in 
" pectore. Si vis me flere, dolendum est, &c. i.e. follow- 
ct ing the idea of the author, You will never win others 
" over to a religious life, unless you yourself are first pos^ 
" sessed of piety. This inspires thoughts, dispositions, 
<( and words, winch nothing else can produce. It is this, 
u that animates the voice, the gesture, and every action of 
" the christian preacher. When he is thus grounded in 
" piety, it is difficult to conceive with what facility, and 
" with what success he labours, still enjoying an tin speak - 
" able sweetness in himself. Then it is, that he s truly 
ec sensible of his vocation; then he speaks in the cause of 
(i God, and then only he is in a proper situation to affect 
" others." 

It appeared so necessary to the fathers, who composed 
the synod of Berne, that every minister should be posses- 

sed 

(<:;) Col. i, 12 — 14. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. II 

sed of solid piety, that they believed it impossible for a 

man to be a good catechist without it. After recommend- 
ing it to pastors to explain among the youth, the Lord's 
prayer and the Apostles' creed, they add : " This will 
" be abundantly more effectual, if first of all, we are care- 
" fid that jesus Christ may arise in our own hearts. The 
" fire, with which we should then be animated, would 
" soon stir up and warm the docile minds of children. 
" Otherwise, that which reason alone draws from books, 
* and is taught by other men, is no more than a human 
" work, and will be ineffectual, till the great master, the 
f* Holy Spirit itself, becomes of the party, creating, renew- 
cc ing 'and regenerating to a celestial and eternal life (h).'* 



REFLECTIONS 

Upon the second Trait of the Character of St. PauL 



'■T 



HE experimental knowledge of our misery as sinners, 
and of our salvation, as sinners redeemed, is the portion of 
every believer under the Gospel. If we are destitute ofthis 
twofold knowledge, we are yet in a state of dangerous ig- 
norance, and are denominated christians in vain : for chris- 
tian hunulity has its source in the knowledge of our corruption, 
hristian charity flows from a knowledge of the great sal- 
ion, which Christ has procured for us: and if these two 
graces are not resident in our hearts, our religion is but the 
low of Christianity. 

2. As there are some persons, whose physiognomy is 
strongly marked, and who have something peculiarly strik- 
ing in the whole turn of their countenance ; so there are 

te, the traits of whose moral character are equally strik- 
ing, and v. hose conversion is distinguished by uncommon 
circumstances, kuch was the apostle Paul. But a train of 
wonderful occurrences is bv no means necessary to conver- 
sion. For example — It is not necessary, that all believers 
should be actually cast to the earth : or that groaning beneath 
the weight of their sins, and under the conviction of a two- 
fold blindness, they should continue in prayer for three days 

I nights, without either eating or drinking. But k is 

absolutely 

pi) Acts of the Synod, Chap, xxxiv, 



12 THE PORTRAIT OrSTVPAUL* 

absolutely necessary, that they should be sensible of an 
extreme sorrow for having offended a gracious God; that 
they should condemn themselves and their vices by an un- 
feigned repentance ; and that confessing the depravity of 
their whole heart, they should abandon themselves to that 
sincere distress which refuses all consolation, except that 
which is from above. Neither is it necessary, that they 
should hear a voice from heaven, that they should see a 
light brighter than the Sun, or behold, in a vision, the 
minister cho«en to bring them consolation in the name of 
the Lord Jesus. But it is absolutely necessary, that they 
should hear the word of Go d, that they should be illuminated 
by the Gospel, and receive directions from any messenger 
sent for their relief; till, placing their whole confidence in 
God through a gracious Redeemer, they feel a new and 
heavenly nature produced within them. This sincere repent* 
ance and this living faith, or, which is the same thing, this 
christian piety, is strictly required of every believer under 
the new Testament. 

3. Christian piety constitutes the great difference, that is 
observed between true ministers and unworthy pastors. 
The latter preach, chiefly, either in order to obtain bene- 
fices, or to preserve them ; or, perhaps, to relieve one 
another in the discharge of those duties, which they esteem 
heavy and painful. But the desire of communicating to 
sinners that spiritual knowledge, which is more precious than 
rubies, h the #rand motive for preaching with the true 
ministers of God. They publish Christ; like St. Paul, from 
sentiment and inclination ; exposing themselves even to 
persecution on account of preaching the Gospel, like those 
faiihful Evangelists, who, when commanded to teach no 
more in the name of Jesus., answered with equal respect and 
resolution ; Whether it be right in the sight of God, to hearken 
unto you more than unto God, judge ye : for we cannot but speak 
the things which we have seen and heard (i). 

4. It is worthy of observation, that St. Paul supplicates 
not only for all public teachers, but for Qvory private be- 
liever in the church, the highest degrees or grace and 
christian experience. / cease not, saith he to the Ephesians, 
to make mention of you in my prayers; that the God of our 

Lord 
(i) Acts iv» 19, 20. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL'. 2 .*- 

Lord Jesus Christ, the Father < ■, may ghe tpito yoi 

and receta:i-v:i in the knowled i: 

eyes of your *&& knozi; 

what is the hope of his c< M the riches of r. 

r, M - saints : ana 
greatness of i «r to us icard, ivlto believe Qt\ And 

vhich this apostle prop- himself in his pri- 

vate supphcaio /John aba proposed to in 

writing Iris p^bric epistles — 7:: u / \ : have sz 
heard declare we unto yo so may v.iih 

-ship is with the Father, and :. 
Son / «** te »*& 

3#j*r &?/#// on be had said, we write, 

A after higher degrees oi 
.. charity, and a .e, t/iat beir - :d and c 

hie to comprehend iv ith all saints, die hjze cf 
; thaiy: f filled \ 

, The attentive reader will easily per- 
oce the subject of Si. Paulas w0di -m*- 
dent sidered, by nor. 

in general, as a proper subject ior the most pointed raillery. 

5. Those ministers, who are not yet furnhhed v. 
.1 experience, and who are not seeking after it as 

the Gospel, are not yet 

truly converted to bhe c hristian faith: and (I repeat it after 

Mr." Osterw : iitute ei d i ; oy, far from 

ig in circumstances to preach the Gospeb are not 

c-hend it, .■>, having a 

farm ofgadtmess } \e poicer thjerwf ( n) . And the greatest 

i can be pronounced upon such cho . is 

that, with which St. Paul honoured the unbel zealots 

is time : I bet . record, that the .. a zeal far God; 

but that zeal i h any true knowledge, 

rr of man^ weakness, or the Rceuerner's power : for 

they, bew_ r'ishieous^ess, and gain? about to 

bmiited themseli-.s 
unto the r \ of God. For C . ; :: the 4 \e l#z$ 

for rigfdeou6;ic^s to $ :t bdkzeih (o). 

6. Whoever nas not experienced thai conviction of sin, 

C and 

00 Epb. i. 16-1?. I John i. 3. 4. [m] Bpb. iiiUT— IP. 

2 rip. ill 5. i^o) flcrii, x, ^— i. 



12 



p' 



19 / THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

(pentanee, which are described by St. Paul in tire 
hapter of his epistle to the Romans, though like 
[us, he may be a doctor in Israel, yet he shall never 
see . kingdom of God. Totally carnal, and satisfied to 
continue so, he neither understands nor desires that re- 
generation, which the Gospel proposes and insists upon. He 
endeavours not to fathom the sense of those important 
words : Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born 
again, he cannot see the kingdom of God (p). He considers 
those who are born of the spirit as rank enthusiasts, and dis- 
dains to make any serious enquiry respecting the foundation 
of their hope. If his acquaintance with the letter of the 
scripture did not restrain him, he would tauntingly address 
the artless question of Nicodemus to every minister who 
preaches the doctrine of regeneration — How can a man be 
born, when he is old ? Can he enter the second time into his 
mother's womb and be born (q) ? And unless he was withheld 
by a sense of politeness,, he would rudely repeat to every 
zealous follower of St. Paul the* ungracious expression of 
Festus — Thou art beside thyself ; much mystic learning doth 
make thee mad (r). 

7. On the contrary, a minister, who is distinguished by 
•the second trait of the character of St. Paul, at the same time 
proporticnably possesses every disposition, necessary to form 
an evangelical pastor : since it is not possible fat christian 
piety to exist without the brilliant light of truth,, and the 
burning zeal of charity. And every minister, who has this 
light and this love, is enriched with those two powerful 
resources, which enabled the first christians to act as citizens 
.of heaven, and the first ministers as ambassadors of Christ. 

NOTE IL 

Notwithstanding the early piety of M. de la Flechere, of 
which such honourable mention has been made in the preceding 
note, it appears that he continued, for a long time, a perfect stranger 
to the true nature of Christianity. He was naturally of a high and 
ambitious turn, though his ambition was sufficiently refined for re- 
ligious as well as scientific pursuits. He aspired after rectitude, and 
was anxious to possess every moral perfection. He counted much 
upon the dignity of human nature, and was ambitious to act in a man- 
ner becoming his exalted ideas of that dignity. And here he out- 
btripped the multitude in an uncommon degree. Pie was rigidly just 

(p) John in. 8. (q) John in, 4, (r) Acts xxvi. 24. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 



JJ 



im his dealings, and inflexibly true to his word ; he was a strict ob- 
;r of his several duties iu every relation of life; his sentiments 
liberal, and his charity profuse ; he was prudent in hi- conduct, 
and courteous in his deportment; he was a diligent enquirer after 
. and a strenuous advocate i-n- virtue ; he was frequent in sacred 
meditations, and was a regular attendant at public worship. Possess- 
ed of so many in tral accomplishments, it is no wonder that, while he 
was admired by his friends, he should cast a look of self-complacency 
his own character, and consider himself, with respect to his at- 
tainments in virtue, abundantly superior to the common herd 
mankind. But while he was taken up in congratulating himself 
upon his own fancied eminence iu piety, he was an absolute stranger 
to that unfeigned sorrow for sin, which is the first step toward the 
kingdom of God. It was not till after he had re si led some time in 
England, that he became experimentally acquainted witn the nature 
of true repentance. By what particular providence he was led to a 
minute investigation of his own heart, or at what particular time, 
cannot be easily ascertained ; but we have ample testimony, that ia 
his twenty-sixth year his knowledge of himself was as solid, as it had 
formerly beer. laL In that year he addressed an epistle to his 

brother on the subject of internal religion, where, after insisting on the 
vanity of every earthly pursuit, he gives the following description of 
the change that had taken place in his own mind. " I speak from 
41 experience. I have been successively deluded by all those desire;, 
" which I here so sincerely reprobate ; and sometimes I have been 
" the sport of them all at once. This will appear incredible, except 
M to those who have discovereJ, that the heart of unregenerate man 
'* is nothing more than a chaos of obscurity, and a mass of contra- 
" dictions. If you have any acquaintance with yourself, you will 
" readily subscribe to this description of the human heart: and if 
" you are without this acquaintance, then rest assured, my dear 
'* brother, that whatever your pursuit may be, you are as far from 
" true happiness as the most wretched of men. The meteor you aie 
" following still flies before you ; frequently it disappears, and never 
41 shews itself but to allure you to the brink of some unlooked for 
li precipice. Every unconverted man must necessarily come under 
" one 01 other of the following descriptions. He is either a voltip- 
* { luary : am zed person, or a Pharisaical ph ; or per- 

" haps, ;:ke myself, he may be ail of these at the same time : and, 
u what is still more extraordinary, he may be so, not only without 
*•' - hut even without once suspecting it. Indeed, nothing is 

*« more common among men, than an entire blindness to' their own 
" real characters. Bow long have I placed my happiness in me.'e 
" chiu> ras ! Bow often have I grounded my vain nope upon im- 
ujuations 1 I have been constantly employed in framing 
:s for my own felicity j hut my disappointments have been 
l < as frequent and various as my projects. In the midst of my idle 
series, how often have I said to myself, ' D.agthy weary feet 
" bu: t<» the summit of yonder eminence, a situation beyond which 
u the world bus nothing to present more adequate to thy wishes, and 
" there thou shaft sit down in a state of repose. 5 On my arrival, 

C 2 «« however. 



*8 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

% * bowever, at the spot proposed, a sad discovery has taken place. 

The whole scene has appeared more barren than the valley I had 

' quitted ; and the point of happiness, which I lately imagined it 

' 4 possible to have touched with my finger, has presented itself at a 

" greater distance than ever. 

ls If hitherto, my dear brother, you have beguiled yourself with 
t prospects of the same visionary nature, uever expect to be more 
•' successful in your future pursuits. One labor will only succeed 
" another, making way for continual discontent and chagrin. Open 
f* your heart, and there you will discover the source of that painful 
' inquietude, to which, by your own confession, you have been long 
f a prey. Examine its secret recesses, and you will discover there 
" sufficient proofs of the following truths — The heart is deceit ful above all 
* r things, and desperately wicked. All have sinned, and come short of the 
** gt° r y of God. Thj thoughts of man's heart are only evil, and that con- 
" t'mually. The natural man iinderstandeth not the things of the spirit of 
God. On the discovery of these, and o'her important truths, you 
" will be convinced that man is an apostate being, composed of a 
" sensual rebellious body, and a soul immersed in pride, self-love, 
1 and ignorance : nay more, you will perceive it a physical impossi- 
bility, that men should every beoome truly happy, till he is east, 
as it were, into a new mould, and created a second time. For my 
own part, when I first began to know myself, I saw, I felt that 
** man is an indefinable an : mal, partly of a bestial, and partly of an 
•' infernal nature. This discovery shocked my self-love, and filled 
*' me with the utmost horror. I endeavoured, for some time, to 
*' throw a palliating disguise over the wretchedness of my condition ; 
*' but the impression it had already made upon my heart was too deep 
f to be erased. It was to no purpose, that I reminded myself of the 
" morality of my conduct. It was in vain, that I recollected the 
•' many encomiums, that had been passed upon my early piety 
" and virtue. And it was to little avail, that I sought to cast a mist 
" before my eyes by reasonings like these — If conversion implies a 
•' total change, who has been converted in these days ? Why dost 
" thou imagine thyself worse than thou really art ? Thou art a be- 
" liever in God, and in Christ; thou art a christian; thou hast in- 
" jured no person ; thou art neither a drunkard, nor an adulterer ; 
" thou hast discharged thy duties, not only in a general way, but 
" with more than Ordinary exactness; thou ait a strict attendant at 
" church; thou art accustomed to pray more regularly than others, 
* 4 and frequently with a good degree of fervor; make thyself per- 
i( fectly easy : moreover, Jesus Christ has suffered for thy sins, and 
" his rneiit will supply every thing that is lacking on thy part. It 
11 was by reasonings of this nature, that I endeavoured to conceal 
" From myself the- deplorable state of my heart: and I am ashamed, 
'* my dear bi ether ! I repeat it, I am ashamed, that I suffered my- 

* self so long to be deluded by the artifices of Satan, and the devices 
' of my own heart. God himself has invited me, a cloud of apostles, 

* prophets, and martyrs have exhorted me, and my conscience, 
' animated by those spaiks of grace which are latent in every breast, 
: has urged ms to enter in at the strait gate : but, notwithstanding all 

" thisj 



• i 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 17 

tl this, a subtil temper, a deluding world, and a deceived heart, have 
M constantly turned the balance, for above these twenty years, in 
" favor of the broad way. I have past the most lovely part of my 
** life in the service of these tyrannical masters, and am ready to 
" declare in the face of the universe, that all my reward has corr- 
**. sisted in disquietude and remoise, Happy, had I listened to the 
" earliest invitations of grace, and broken their iron yoke from ofY 
" my neck 1" * 

The internal revolution, above described, may be said to have 
formed a grand epoch in the life of this valuable man. From this 
time, his hopes and his fears, his desires and pursuits, were totally 
changed. From the heights of self-exaltation he sunk into the depths 
of self-abhorrence ; and from shining in the foremost ranks of the 
virtuous, he placed himself on a level with the very chief of sinners. 
Conviction made way for unfeigned repentance, and repentance laid 
a solid foundation for christian piety. His sorrow for sin was succeeded 
by a consciousness of the Almighty's favor, and the pangs of remorse 
gave way to the joys of remission. Believing on Jesus, as the scrip- 
ture hath said, he found in him a well of consolation spr'nging up into 
everlasting life. All his wanderings were, at once, happily terminat- 
ed, his doubts were removed, his tears were dried up, and he began to 
rejoice iu hope of the glory of God. His conversion was not imagin- 
ary, but real.. It not only influenced his sentiments, but extended to 
his conduct. Whom he had found a Savioiv, lie determined to follow 
a- a guide : and so unalterable was this determination, that, from the 
very hear in which it was formed, it is not known, that he ever cast a 
wishful look behind him.- A cloud of witnesses are ready to testify, 
that, from his earliest acquaintance with the truths of the gospel, he 
continued to walk worthy of his high vocation, growing in grace, and 
adorning the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. From this period 
of bis life, he became truly exemplary for- christian piety. But this 
piety was of too exalted a nature to admit of any adequate descrip- 
tion. They who saw him only at a distance, revered him as a man of 
God ; while they, who enjoyed a nearer acquaintance with him, were 
held in a state or constant admiration at his attainments in the divine 
life. He appeared to enjoy an uninterrupted fellowship with the Fa- 
ther, and with his Son Jesus Christ. Every day was with him a (lav of 
solemn self-dedication, and every hour an hour of praise or prayer, 
.Naturally formed for preeminence, no common degrees of grace were 
sufficient to satisfy his- unbounded desires. He towered above the 
generality of christians, earnestly desiring the beU gifts, and anxious to 
walk in the most excellent zvay. While others are content to taste the 
living stream, he traced that stream to its source, and lived at the 
fountain-head of blessedness. He was familiar with invisible objects, 
and constantly walked as in the presence of God. To those, who. 
were much conversant with him, he appeared as an inhabitant of a 
better world ; so perfectly dead was he to the enjoyments of the pre- 
sent life, and so wholly detached from its anxious cares. Wherever 
he was called by the providence of God ; he was acknowledged as a 

C 3 burning 

* I need, 1 think, make co excuse for having translated so large a portioa . 

cf ihis epistle, . . ;V ' t 



18 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

burning and sinning light. The common lights of christians were 
eclipsed before bim ; and even his spiritual friends could never stand 
*.n his presence, without being overwhelmed with a consciousness of 
their own inferiority and unprofitableness. While they have seen 
bim rising, as it were, upon the wings of an eagle, they have been 
confounded at their own inability to pursue his flight; and while he 
lias given way to the emotions of his fervent love, they have blushed 
at their own ingratitude and lukevvarmness. The candle of the Lord 
eminently shone upon his head 9 and the secret of God a as upon his taber- 
nacle. When he went out through the city, or took his seat in the com-* 
pany of the righteous, he was saluted with unusual reverence, and 
received as an angel of God. The young men saw him and hid them" 
selves ; and the aged arose and stood up. Even those, who were honor- 
ed as princes among the people of God, refrained talking, and laid their 
hand upon their mouth. When the ear heard him, then it blessed him ; and 
when the eye. saw him, it gave witness to him. His character was free 
from those inconsistencies, which are too generally observable among 
the professors of Christianity. Whether he sat in the house, or whe- 
ther he walked by the way ; in his hours of retirement, and in his 
public labors, he was constantly actuated by the same spirit. When 
he spoke — his conversation was in heaven ; and the hearts of his in- 
timate friends still burn within them, on every recollection of the 
gracious words that proceeded out of his mouth. When he was 
silent — his very air and countenance bespoke an angelic mind, ab- 
sorbed in the contemplation of God. When he was engaged in the 
ordinary actions of life, he performed them with such a becoming 
seriousness, that they assumed a striking and important appearance. 
In all the changing circumstances of life, he looked and acted like 
a man, whose treasure was laid up in heaven. There his affections 
were immoveably fixed, and thitherward he was continually tending 
with all the powers of his soul: he spoke of it, as the subject of his 
constant meditation, and looked to it, as travellers to their appointed 
home. At times, when the pious breathings of his soul were too for- 
cible to be repressed, he would break forth into expressions of adora- 
tion among his spiritual associates, and cry out, while tears of joy 
were bursting from his eyes — My God! My Saviour I Thou art 
mine ! a wretch unworthy of thy notice ! Yet thou hast visited me with thy 
mercy, and honored me with thy favor ! I adore thine unfathomable 
love I Ye who have tasted of his grace, assist me to magnify his name. 
lie was an instrument always in tune: and none can tell, but 
those who have heard, how sweetly it would answer to the touch 
of him that strung it. He was an instrument of uncommon com- 
pass, and wondrously adapted to every occasion. Every bieath 
that swept over the chords of this living lyre drew from it some 
according sound: if from man, it produced strains of affection and 
sympathy; if from God, it called forth higher sounds of gratitude 
and devotion. His piety suffered no event to pass by unimproved. 
3Every object led him into the presence of God, and every occur- 
rence gave rise to a train of serious reflections. I shall close this 
note by relating an anecdote, which may serve to illustrate this part 
of his character. Travelling iome years ago with a Mend through 
part of Italy, as they approached the Appian«way, he directed the 

driver 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 19 

driver to stop before he entered upon it. He then ordered the chaise 
door to be opened, assuring his fellow-traveller, that his heart 
would not suffer him to ride over that ground, upon which the apostle 
Paul had for me rl 5- walked chained to a soldier, on account of preach- 
ing the everlasting Gospel. As soon as he had set his foot upon this 
old Roman road, he took off his hat; and walking on, with his eyes 
lifted up to heaven, returned thanks to God in a most fervent prayer, 
for that light, those truths, and that influence of the Holy Spirit, 
which were continued to the present day. He rejoiced that England 
was favored with the Gospel in its purity; and devoutly implored, 
that Rome might again have the truths of that Gospel declared in 
those churches, which were disgraced with a worship little superior to 
that of ancient Athens. He then took a view of the exemplary life, 
the extensive travels, and astonishing labors of the great apostle. He 
recounted his sufferings when a prisoner, and his trials when at liber- 
ty ; his rigid self-denial, and his voluntary poverty for the furtherance 
of the Gospel. He spoke of his painful ministry and his violent perse- 
cutions, enlarging, with peculiar energy, upon his last journey from 
Jerusalem to Rome. He then ran over his experience — his faith, his 
love, his abundant revelations, and his constant communion with the 
Lord Jesus Christ: demonstrating that, without such communion, he 
could never have supported the sharp conflicts and repeated suffer- 
ings, to which he was daily exposed. Here he adverted to his own 
situation with a degree of gratitude, that surpasses all description. 
What a miracle of mercy, said he, that a christian, hated and de- 
spised as he is by all men, is yet suffered to live : and that we, who 
desire to be such, can travel at this day unmolested among those ^ 
who abhor the truth as it is in Jesus. Their ancestors were stained 
with the blood of the innocents ; and was the Gospel to be proposed 
in its purity to the present generation, they would rush upon the 
preacher of it as so many beasts of prey, if He, who restrained the 
lions from devouring Daniel, was not present to control their destruc- 
tive zeal. * These remarks were continued for a long time together, 
sweetly intermixed with occasional prayer and praise. He breathed 
nothing but devotion, and had he not been prevented by the pre- 
sence of the driver, such were his feelings on treading this celebrated 
road, that be would certainly have acted like St. Paul, when he retired 
to the river sio\e, where prayer was wont to be made. 



TRAIT III. 

His intimate Union with Christ by Faith. 

T 

A AM come, said the - good shepherd, that my sheep might 
have life, ana] that they might have it more abundantly (a). / am 
the light of the world (b). / am the way, the truth, and the 

lift 
(a) John x. 10, It. (b) John viii. 12* 



20 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. • 

life (c). / am the vim; ye are the branches (d). The faithful 
minister understands the signification of these mysterious 
expressions. He walks in this way, he follows this tight, he 
embraces this truth, and enjoys this life in all its rich abund- 
ance. Constantly united to his Lord, by a humble faith, a 
lively hope, and an ardent charity, he is enabled to say, with 
St. Paul ; The love of Christ constraineth me ; because we tints 
judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead : and that he 
died for all, that they which live, should not henceforth live unto 
themselves, but unto hini, who died for them, and rose again (e). 
We are dead, and our life is hid ivith Christ in GocL When 
Christ, ivho is our life, shall appear, then shall we also appear 
tvith him in glory (f ). For if we have been planted together in 
the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his 
resurrection. Knowing that Christ > being raised from the dead, 
dieth no more, but liveth unto God; we likewise reckon our- 
selves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God, through 
Jesus Christ our Lord (g). 

This living faith is the source, from whence all the sanc- 
tity of the christian is derived, and all the power of the true 
minister : it is the medium, through which that sap of grace 
and consolation, those streams of peace and joy, are per- 
petually flowing, which enrich the believing soul, and make 
it fruitful in every good work: or, to speak without a 
metaphor, from this powerful grace proceeds that love of 
God and man, which influences us to think and act, either 
as members, or as ministers of Jesus Christ. The character 
of the christian is determined according to the strength or 
weakness of his faith. If the faith of St. Paul had been weak 
or wavering, his portrait would have been unworthy .of our 
contemplation : he ,would necessarily have fallen into doubt 
and discouragement; he might probably have sunk into sin, 
as St. Peter plunged into the sea ; he must, sooner or later, 
have lost his spiritual vigor, and have made the same ap- 
pearance in the church, as those ministers and christians 
who are influenced by the maxims ot the world. The 
effects of faith are still truly mysterious, though our Lord 
has explained them in as intelligible a manner as their nature 
will permit : He that abideth in me, by a living faith, and in 
whom I abide, by the light of my word and the power ,-of my 

spirit, 
(c) John xiv. 6. (d) John xv. 5. (e) 2 Cor. v, 14. 
(f) Col. iii. 3, 4. (§) Rom. vi. 5,9,11 .. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 21 

spirit, the same brlngeth forth much fruit ; for without me ye can 
do nothing. If any man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a 
branch, and, being wittered, is cast into the fire and burned. 
Herein is my father glorified, that, united to me as the branches 
to the vine, 3^ bear much fruit ; so shall ye be my disciples (h). 

Penetrated with these great truths, and daily cleaving 
more firmly to his living head, the true minister expresses 
what the natural man cannot receive, and what few pastors 
of the present age are able to comprehend, though St. Paul 
not only experienced it in his own heart, but openly declares 
it In the following remarkable passage : / am crucified with 
Christ : nevertheless I live ; yet, not I, but Christ liveth in me : 
and the life, which I now live in the flesh, I live by the faith of 
the Son of God, who loved me, and gaMe himself for me (i). 

NOTE III. 

THE life of M. de la Fleehere might with the strictest propriety 
be termed a life of faith. Through the whole of his christian pilgri* 
mage he walked by faith, and not by sight. By faith he embraced the 
truths of the Gospel, when they were first proposed to him in plain- 
ness and simplicity; not barely admitting, bat relying upon them with 
an entire confidence. By faith he relinquished the world, while it 
presented him with many a flattering prospect, ch'tsing rather to suffer 
affliction with the peopte cf God, than to enjoy the pleasures of sin for a 
season. By faith he endured the displeasure of his friends, and pati. 
ently suffered their contradiction, esteeming the reproach of Christ greater 
riches than the treasures of the world, and having respect unto the recom- 
pense ofiezvard. By faith he engaged himself in the christian warfare, _ 
unmoved either by its difficulties pt its dangers; and by faith he en- 
dured to the end, as seeing him, who is invisible. Though his Faith was 
always encreasing, yet, during his christian profession, there never 
was a time in which he was regarded as a man weak or wavering in 
the faith of the Gospel. On the contrary, he seems to have borne a 
strong resemblance to those two extraordinary characters, whose 
faith, upon their very first application to Christ, not only procured his 
approbation, but appeared Jo excite his astonishment. His faith 
was frequently put to the severest tests ; but, after being tried to the 
uttermost, it remained unshaken. He regarded the promises of God 
as the firm supports of this grace, nor was he ever seen to stagger at 
any of those promises through unbelief. If the promise was great and 
important; if its full accomplishment was even doubted by his mo^t 
esteemed fellow-labourers ; yet, this holy man continued strong in 
faith, giving glory to God ; being fuity persuaded, that whit he had prom'' - 
sed he zvas able also to perform. By this mighty grace he engaged in the 
most difficult duties, and saw many mountainous obstacles removed 
from his path. By this, he was enabled to bear the heat and burden rf 

ftto 
(h) John xv. 6, 7, 8. (i) Gal. ii, 20. 



22 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAUX. 

the day : and by this, notwithstanding all the discouragements that 
could be thrown in his way, he went on from conquering to conquer. 

The nature of his faith was evidenced by the works it produced. 
He stood not as a cumberer of the ground in bis master's vineyard ; 
but, like a tree planted by the water-side, be brought forth his fruit in due 
season. He stood as an humble representation of that tiee of life, 
which grows by the river of Paradise ; for in his fruit there was a 
wonderful variety, and every successive season was with him a season* 
of spiritual plenty. He not only bore that delicate kind of fruit, which 
requires the sunshine of prosperity ; but produced, with equal luxuri- 
ance, those hardier graces, which can only be matured by the rigors 
of adversity. 

It is the privilege of every christian to be united to Christ ; that as 
He and his Father nxe one, so his disciples may be one with their 
adorable Master. This privilege, in its lowest sense, is inconceiv- 
ably estimable in the church of Christ; but bj T this eminent servant o£ 
God it was enjoyed in a more than ordinary degree. His union with the 
blessed Jesus, answerable to the greatness of his faith, was intimate and 
constant. He experienced the fulfilment of that condescending pro- 
mise ; If any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, 
and sup with him, and he with me: he obeyed the summons, and re- 
ceived the promised visitant; and from that time his heart became 
the dwelling-place of Christ. There he experienced the teachings of 
uncreated wisdom, and held ineffable communion with the author and 
■finisher of faith, imbibing abundantly the spirit of his divine instructor, 
and sitting under his shadow with great delight. By this sacred inter- 
course, continued from day to day, his union with Christ became so 
entire, that he was at length enabled to adopt the expressive declara- 
tion of the great apostle — I live ; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me ; #c. 

The strictness of this union was evinced by his whole disposition* 
and carriage. The mind that was in Christ, was discovered also iut 
him. He denied himself, he took up his cross, and trod in the foot- 
steps of his master. He cheerfully submitted to the yoke of Jesus, 
and was effectually taught, by his example, to be meek and lowly in 
heart. He breathed the language of universal benevolence, and copi- 
ed the character of his Lord with so great exactness, that all men took 
knowledge ofhhn, that he had been with Jesus. Fellowship with Christ is,, 
with the generality of christians, a state of much uncertainty, and 
subject to many changes.; but by this holy man it was well nigh un- 
interruptedly enjoyed, thiough all the different stages of the spiritual 
life. It was his consolation in the season of adversity, and his glory 
in the day of rejo'cing ; it sustained him in the hour of temptation, 
and afforded him peace in the midst of trouble. At home or abroad, he 
still was sitting with Christ Jesus in heavenly places. In sickness or 
in health, he daily conferred with this physician of inestimable value. 
In honour or dishonour, he was still dignified with the favor of this 
Everlasting King. In short, the whole circle of his christian friends 
are ready to testify, that neither (ribulatron, nor distress, nor persecution, 
nor lij>, nor death, were able to separate this faithful pastor from the hye 
ofChrkt : for whom he suffered the loss ol all things, and by whose gra- 
cious presence that loss was abundantly overpaid. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 25 



TRAIT IV. 

His extraordinary vocation to the holy Ministry, and in what 
that Ministry chiefly consists. 



E 



iVERY professor ot Christianity is acquainted with the 
honor, which our Lord conferred upon the apostle Paul, in 
not only calling him to a participation of the christian faith, 
but by appointing him also to publish the everlasting Gospel. 
A just sense of this double honor penetrated the heart of 
that apostle with the most lively gratitude — / give thanks, 
saith he, to Christ Jesus our Lord, for that he counted me faith- 
ful, putting me into the ministry ; who was before a blasphemer, 
and a persecutor, and injurious. But I obtained jnercy because 
J did it ignorantly in unbelief : and the grace of our Lord was ex- 
ceeding abundant in me, with faith and love, which is in Christ 
Jesus. Howbeit, for this cause J obtained mercy, that in me first 
Jesus Christ might shew forth all long- suffering, for a pattern to 
them, which should hereafter believe on him to everlasting life (a). 
The evangelical ministry, to which St. Paul was immedi- 
ately called, is in general the same through every age en- 
lightened by the Gospel, and consists in publishing the 
truth after such a manner, that the wicked may be con- 
verted, and the faithful edified. The commission, which 
the great apostle received from Christ, contains, essentially, 
nothing more than the acknowledged duty of every minister 
of the Gospel. Leave out the miraculous appearance of 
our Lord ; pass over the circumstance of a commission given 
in an extraordinary manner ; substitute the word sinners for 
that of gentiles, and insteaa of jews read hypocritical professors, 
and you will perceive, that, with these immaterial alterations 
the commission of St. Paul is the commission of every faith- 
ful minister, in the church. Observe the tenor of it. In per- 
son, or by my ambassadors, in a manner either extraordinarv, 
or ordinary, / appoint thee a minister, and a witness of those 
thi?igs P which thou hast seen, or experienced, and of those things, 
in the which I will appear to thee ; and L will deliver thee from 
the hands of the people, and from the gentiles, i.e. from the 
.hands of hypocritical professors, and from ignorant sinners, 

unto 
(a)lTim.i. 12—16. 



24 THE PORTRAIT 0*F St. PAU 1 '. 

unto whom I now send thee, to open their eyes, and to turn them 
from the darkness of error, to the light of truth, and from the 
power of Satan to God, \. e. from sin, which is the image of 
Satan, to holiness, which is the image of God, that they may 
receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among them 
xvhich are sanctified, by faith that is in me (b.) Such Was 
the office to which St. Paul was appointed, more especially 
among the gentile nations ; and such, without doubt, is the 
office of every pastor, at least, within the limits of his parti- 
cular parish. As for taking the ecclesiastical habits, reading 
over some pages of a liturgy, solemnizing marriages, bap- 
tizing infants, keeping registers, and receiving stipends, 
these things are merely accidental: and every minister 
should be able to say with St. Paul, Christ sent me not, princi- 
pally, to baptize, but to preach the Gospel (c.) 

It is evident, from various passages in the different offi- 
ces of our church, that our pious reformers were unanimously 
of opinion, that Christ himself appoints, and, in some sort, 
inspires all true pastors ; that He commits the flock to their 
keeping, and that their principal care is the same with 
that of the first evangelists^ namely, the conversion of souls. 
And truly, the same Lord, who appointed his disciples as 
apostles, or ocular witnesses of his resurrection, has also ap- 
pointed others as pastors, or witnesses of a secondary order, 
and suffragans of the first evangelists. If the witnesses of a 
higher order were permitted to see Christ after his resur- 
rection, those of a secondary order have felt the efficacy of 
his resurrection, being raised together with him, or regenerated 
through the reception of a lively hope, by the rising again of 
Christ from the dead .(d). So that every true minister, 
who bears his testimony to the truths of the Gospel, whe- 
ther it be from the pulpit, or before tribunals, is supported 
by his own particular experience of Christ's resurrection, as 
well as by a conviction founded upon the depositions of the 
first witnesses. Now this conviction, and this experience, 
are by no means confined to the ministering servants of 
God ; but the hearts of the faithful, in their several gene- 
rations, have been influenced by them both ; if it be true, 
that they have constantly stood prepared, to seal with their 
blood these two important truths, Jesus Christ died for our 
sins, and rose again for our justification. Millions of the 

laity 
(b) Acts xxvi, 16—18. (c) 1 Cor. i. 17. (d) 1 Pet. i. 3. Col. iii. 1. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. E& 

laity have been called to give this last proof of their faith ; 
and, beyond all doubt, it is abundantly more difficult to bear 
testimony to the truth upon a scaffold, than from a pulpit. 

If St. Paul and the other apostles are considered as per- 
sons of a rank far superior to ours, they themselves cry out, 
O sirs ! We also are men of like passions with you (e). If it be 
saici, that God inspired the apostles with aii the wisdom and 
zeal, necessary to fulfil the duties oftheir high vocation; it may 
be replied, that our churches implore for their established 
pastors the same wisdom and zeal, grounding such prayers 
upon the authority of many plain passages of Holy Scripture 
~-Now unto him, that is able to do exceeding abundantly above 
all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh 
in us, unto him be glory in the church, by Christ Jesus, throughout 
all ages, world without end (f). 

Moreover, it is an error to suppose that the apostles 
needed no augmentation of that divine light by which spi- 
ritual objects are discerned. St. Paul, who was favoured 
with an extraordinary inspiration, and that sufficient to 
compose sacred books, in which infallibility is to be found, 
writes thus to believers; Now we see through a glass darkly ; 
but then face to face. Now I know in part ; but then shall I 
know, even as also I am known (g). A humble, but happy 
confession ! which, on the one hand, will not suffer us to be 
discouraged when we are most sensible of our inadequate 
light; and teaches us, on the other, how necessary it is to 
make incessant application to the Father of lights: equally 
guarding us against the pride of some, who imagine them- 
selves to have apprehended all the truth ; and the wii.fuj ig- 
norance of others, who pronounce spiritual knowledge to be 
altogether unattainable. 

Now, if the apostle Paul could but imperfectly discern 
the depths of evangelical truth, and if angels themselves &e~ 
sire to look into these things (h); who can sufficiently wonder 
at the presumption of those men, who are so far persuaded 
of their own infallibility, that they regard all truths, winch 
they are unable to fathom, as the mere reveries of fanaticism ? 
But, turning our eyes, at present, from ihQ pernicious error 
.-of these self-exalted christians^ let us consider a subject in 
which we are more interested, than in the extraordinary vo- 
cation of St. Paul to the holy ministry. 

D REFLECT- 

(e) Acts xir. 15. (f) Epb. iii. 20,21. i§) 'l-C6r.ViU.12- £t>)iPet.U% 



-0 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

REFLECTIONS 

Upon the ordinary vocation to the holy ministry* 

r jyi£ harvest truly is plenteous, hut the laborers are few: pray 
ye, therefore, the Lord of the harvest, that He will send 
forth laborers into his harvest (i). Retaining in memory these 
remarkable words of our Lord, the conscientious man is 
incapable of thrusting himself into the holy ministry, without 
being first duly called thereto by the Lord of the harvest, the 
great Shepherd and Bishop of souls. 

The minister of the present age is not ordinarily called 
to ihe holy ministry, except by carnal motives such as his 
own vanity, or his peculiar taste for a tranquil and indolent 
life. Perhaps his vocation to the ministry is principally from 
his father or mother, who have determined that their son 
shall enter into holy orders. Very frequently, if the candi- 
date for holy orders had sincerity enough to discover the real 
inclination of his heart, he might make his submissions to the 
dignitaries of our church, and say ; Put me, 1 pray you, into 
one of the priest's offices , that I may eat apiece of bread (k). 

It is not thus with the real believer, who consecrates him- 
self to the holy ministry. He is not ignorant, that Christ 
glorified not himself to be made an high priest : and he is per- 
fectly assured, that no man has a right to take upon himself 
ihe sacerdotal dignity, but he that is called of God, either in 
an extraordinary manner, as Aaron and St. Paul ; or, at least, 
in an ordinary manner, as Apollos and Timothy (1). As it 
is a matter of the utmost importance, to understand by what 
tokens this ordinary vocation to the holy ministry may be dis- 
covered, the following reflections upon so interesting a sub- 
ject may not be altogether superfluous. * 

If a young man of virtuous manners is deeply penetrated 
with this bumiliating truth — All have sinned, and come short 
of ihe glory of God (m). If, further, he is effectually convinc- 
ed of this consolatory truth — God so loved the world, that he 
<rave his only -begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should 
not perish, but have everlasting life (n). If his natural talents 
have been strengthened by a liberal education ; if the plea- 
sure 

(i) Matt. ix. 37, 38. (k) 1 Sam. ii. 36. (1) H«b. v. 4, 5. 

(in) Rom. iii. 23. (n) John iii. 16, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 27 

sure of doing good is sweeter to him than all the pleasures 
of sense; it" the hope of converting sinners from the error of 
their way, occupies his mind more agreeably than the idea of 
acquiring all the advantages of fortune ; if the honor of pub* 
lishing the Gospel is superior, in his eyes, to the honor of 
becoming the ambassador of an earthly prince : in short, if, 
by a desire, which springs from the fear of God, the love of 
Christ, and (he concern lie takes in the salvation of his neio-h- 
hour, he is led to consecrate himself to the holy ministry ; if, 
in the order of providence, outward circumstances concur 
with his own designs; and if he solicits the grace and assist- 
ance of God with greater eagerness than he seeks the out-* 
ward vocation from his superiors in the church by the impo- 
sition of hands; he may then satisfy himself, that the great 
High-Priest of the christian profession has set him apart for 
the high office, to which he aspires. 

When, after serious examination, any student in theology 
discovers in himself the necessary dispositions mentioned 
above ; then, having received imposition of hands, with faith 
and humility, from the pastors who preside in the church, 
he may solidly conclude, that he has been favored with the 
ordinary vocation. Hence, looking up to the source of the 
important office with which he is honored, he can adopt with 
propriety the language of St. Paul : / thank Christ Jesus, our 
Lord, for that he hath counted me faithful, putting me into the 
ministry (o). Though I preach the gospel, I have nothing to 
glory -of; Jor ?iecessity is laid upon me, yea, ivo is unto me if I 
preach not the Gospel ; for then I should be found unfaithful 
to my vocation (p). God was In Christ reconciling the ivorld 
unto himself, and hath committed unto us the word of reconcili- 
ation. Noiv then we are ambassadors for Christ (q). And, if 
he becomes not like that wicked and slothful servant, who re- 
fused to administer to the necessities ofhis master's household, 
lie will be able at all times to say: Therefore, seeing ive have 
this ministry, as we have received mercy, ive faint not; but have 
renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking In crafti- 
ness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation 
of the truth commending ourselves to every mans conscience in the 
sight of God (r). 

D 2 A person 

(o) 1 Tim. i. 12. (p) 1 Cor. ix. 16. (q) g Cor. v. 19, 20. 

(r) 2 Cor. iv. 1, 2, 



28 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

A person of this description, searching the depths of the 
human heart, of which he has acquired a competent know- 
ledge by the study of his own; meditating with attention 
upon the proofs, and with humility upon the mysteries, of 
our holy religion; giving himself up to the study of divine 
things, and, above all, to prayer and to good works; such 
a pastor may reasonably hope to groiv in grace, and in the 
knowledge of that powerful Saviour, whom he earnestly pro- 
claims to others. Nor is it' probable that such a one will 
labor altogether in vain. Gradually instructed in the things 
which concern the kingdom of God, he will become like the 
father of a family, bringing forth out of his treasures things 
new arid eld; and whether he speaks of the pld man, the 
earthly nature, which he h&s put off* with such extreme pain ; 
or the neiv man, the heavenly nature, which he has put on 
with equal joy (s) ; he will speak with a conviction so pow- 
erful, and a persuasion so constraining, that the careless must 
necessarily be alarmed, and the faithful encouraged. 



NOTE IV. 

AS far as nature can famish a, mau^fox* ofiices of a sacred kind; r>er- 

haps there never was a person better qualified to sustain the charac- 
ter of a minister of Jesus Christ than M. de la Flechere. His 
disposition and habits, his sentiments and studies, his reverential awe 
of God, his insatiable thirst after truth, and his uncommon abhor- 
rence of vice, gave his friends abundant reason to apprehend, that he 
was marked, at an early age, for the service of the church. Contrary, 
however, to all expectation, and contrary to the designs of bis family, 
before he had arrived at the age of twenty he manifested views of a 
very opposite nature. His theological studies gave place to the sys- 
tems of Vauban and Cohorn, and he evidently preferred the camp to 
the church. All the remonstrances of friends, on this apparent 
change in his disposition, were totally ineffectual ; and, had it not 
been for repeated disappointments, he would have wielded another 
sword than that of the Spirit. Happily, his projects for the field 
were constantly baffled and blasted by the appointments of that 
God, who reserved him for a more important scene of action. His 
ejboice of the army is, however, to be imputed rather to principle 
than inclination. On the one hand, he detested the irregularities and 
vices to vvhich a military life would expose him : on the other, he 
ilrcaded the condemnation he might incur by acquitting himself un- 
faithfully in the pastoral office. He conceived it abundantly easier 
to toil for glory in fields of blood, than to labor for Goo, with un- 
wearied perseverance, in the vineyard of the church. He believed 
himself qualified rather for military operations, than for spiritual em- 
ployments. 

(s) Ephes, iv. 22, 24. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. J) 

payments. On the whole, after fully debating the matter in his own 
mind, the exalted ideas he entertained of the holy ministry deter- 
mined him to seek some other profession* more adapted to the weak- 
ness of humanity. 

Soon after his disappointments with respect to the army. Lis in- 
clination led him to visit this island, where he afterwards found that 
sovereign gnod, which he had been vainly pursuing from place to 
place. During the early part of his residence in England, it is not 
known that he entertained any thought of entering into holy orders, 
though he diligently prosecuted those studies, which are generally 
regarded as preparatory to such a step. It is most prubahle, that he 
had formed no design of this nature, till about the secoud year of his 
Continuance at Tern-Hall, in Shropshire ; when he became ac- 
quainted with the power of true religion, and experienced that im- 
portant change of heart which is described in the second note. 
Receivingat that time an inestimable talent from the hand of Gob, he 
resnlve.l, like a '.vise and faithful servant, to neglect nothing that 
might con. lace to the due improvement of it : and, from that period, it 
became his grand enquiry, JFhat shall I lender unto the Lord for at 

hat he hath a,i>ie unto me? No service appeared too laborious to 
be undertaken, nor any sacriiiee too valuable to be orTered, in return 
fur the -:j;ual favors conferred upon him. But what service could he 
er, or what sacrifice could he offer, that might be acceptable to 
the God, who had done so great tilings for him I The holy ministry, 
indeed, appeared to o:)tn before him a passage to the most important 
labors • and an entire consecration of his united powers to this mo- 
mentous work, he considered as the richest oblation he could make 
. Father of mercies, But a variety of fears, respecting his own 
uattorthiness, prevented him from immediately offering this sacrifice,. 
or hastily entering upon this work. He trembled at the idea of run- 
ning before he was sent, and dreaded engaging in a warfare at his 
own cost. He believed himself unfurnished for the duties of the 
office, to which he aspired. And though he considered the inclina- 
tion of his heart as an internal call to the service of the church, yet- 
he judged it necessary to tarry till that call should be confirmed, if not 
by some providential opening, at. least by the approbation of his 
christian friends. The latter kind uf confirmation was readily ob- 
tained. A discovery of his sentiments was no sooner made, but 
many honorable eiders in the household of God, who had discern- 
ment enough to distinguish the grace that was in him, and ho 



, ana now 

admirably he was fitted for the work of an evangelist, rejoiced over 
him as a faithful laborer already hired into the vineyard of Christ. 
They not only ratified his internal call to the holy ministry by their 
unanimous approbation, but earnestly solicited him to obey that call 
without any further delay. Meanwhile, the word of the Lord was as a 
fire in his bones, ever struggling.for vent, and not unfrequently breaking 
forth, as occasion one red, in public reproof, exhortation, and prayer. 

In this state he continued for about the space of two years, not. 
wholly determined what coarse he should pursue, but patiently wait- 
ing to hear what the Lord God would say concerning him. And 

JU £ during- 



30 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

during this season he was much occupied in making a diligent prepa* 
ration for the service of the altar, that, if ever he should he called to 
so honorable an employment, he might go forth throughly furnished 
to every good work. The chief objects of his pursuit were sacred 
knowledge and christian purity, \n both of which he made an uncom- 
mon proficiency, surpassing many, who had studied for that know- 
ledge, and struggled for that purity, through the greater part of their 
life. By his private exercises he was fitted for public labors, and 
by the holy discipline, to which he submitted himself without any 
reserve, he was trained to spiritual eminence in the school of Christ. 
To those who perfectly knew him in this state pf retirement, he ap- 
peared as a polished shaft, hid indeed for a season in the quiver of his 
lord, yet ready for immediate service, and prepared to fly in any 
appointed direction. 

He was not without promises of preferment in the church : but 
these served rather to retard, than te hasten, his entrance into it. 
Having a sacrifice to perform, and not a fortune to secure, he was 
fearful lest his intention should be debased by views of an interested 
nature. At length, his humble reluctance was overcome : and, after 
the most mature deliberation, he solemnly determined to. offer him- 
self a candidate for holy orders. And to this solemn determination 
he was urged by the encreasing force of two powerful motives, grail' 
tude and benevolence : gratitude to God impelled him to declare the 
name of his great benefactor, and bear public testimony to the word 
of his grace ; while benevolence towards his feljow men incited him to 
spend and be spent in promoting their best interests. Constrained by 
these rare and sacred motives, he publicly dedicated himself to the 
work of the holy ministry in the year 1757, when he received dea- 
con's orders, on Sunday March the sixth, from the hands of the 
bishop of Hereford, and priest's on the following Sunday, from the 
hands of the bishop of Bangor, in the chapel royal at St. James's. 



TRAIT V. 

His entire Devotion to Jesus Christ. 

X HE true christian, called to become a disciple of the 
blessed Jesus, rather than refuse the offered privilege, re- 
nounces his all. If this token of devotion to Christ is discer- 
nible in the character of every true christian, it is still more 
conspicuous in the character of every true minister. Such a 
person, inwardly called by the grace of God to a state of dis- 
cip]eship with Christ, and outwardly consecrated to such a 
state by the imposition of hands, gives himself unreservedly 
up to the service of his condescending master. He with- 

' stands 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL; 3\ 

stands no longer that permanent command of our exalted 
Lord, to which his first disciples shewed so cheerful a sub- 
mission, Follow me. Nor is he discouraged while Christ 
continues, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, 
take tip his cross, and follow me (a). No man having put his 
hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of 
God (b). He, that loveth father or mother , son or daughter, 
more than me, is not worthy of me. He thatfindeth his life sliall 
lose it : and he that loseth his life, for my sake, shall find it (c). 
If there be found any pastor, who cannot adopt the solemn 
appeal of the first ministers of Christ, Lo, we have left all, and 
followed Thee (d), that man is in no situation to copy the 
example of his forerunners in the christian Church, and is 
altogether unworthy the character he bears : since without 
this detachment from the world, and this devotion to the Son 
of God, he flatters himself in vain, that he is either a true 
minister, or a real member, of Jesus Christ. 

Observe the declaration of one, whose attachment to his 
divine master deserves tobe had in everlasting remembrance: 
Those things which were gain to me J counted loss for Christ. 
Yea, doubtless, and I count all things but loss, for the excellency 
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord; for whom I have suf- 
fered the loss of all things, and do count tliem but dung, that I 
may ivin Christ, and be found in him, having the righteousness 
which is of God by faith > (e) . For none of us, true christians 
or true ministers, liveth to himself, or dieth to himself: but 
whether we live, we live unto the Lord ; and whether we die, we 
die unto the Lord (f). 

Professing to be either a minister, or a believer, of the* 
Gospel, without this entire devotion to Jesus Christ, is to 
live in a state of the most dangerous hypocrisy : it is neither 
more nor less than saying, Lord ! Lord ! without having a 
firm resolution to do what our gracious master has com- 
manded. 

NOTE V. 

Devotion to Christ, though it be strictly enjoined by the church, 
yet is 'rarely discernible in the conduct of her members. As the 
majority of Christians are satisfied with a superficial knowledge of the 
Redeemer, so their devotion to him is purely of a professional nature. 

Their 
(a) Matt. xvi. 24. (b) Luke ix. 62. (c) Matt. x. 37—39. (d) Luke 
xviii. 23. (e) Phil. iii. 7, 8, 9. (f) Rom. xiv. 7, 8. 



52 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Their attachment to Christ may dispose them, to some few externa! 
marks of respect towards Him, but is insufficient to produce in them 
any single act of genuine obedience or self-denial. They reverence 
his name while they reject his authority, and acknowledge him as a 
Saviour while they refuse to follow him as a guide. In all these re- 
spects it was totally otherwise with the man, whose character is here 
faintly delineated. His devotion to Christ was sincere and unreserv- 
ed, first as a private christian, and afterwards as a minister of the 
Gospel. As a private christian, he was a strict and constant follower of 
the blessed Jesus, renouncing for his sake all the transient gratifications 
t)f time and sense. Whatever he had formerly admired and pursued, 
he voluntarily laid at the feet of his Lord. Those requisitions of 
Christ, which are generally looked upon as strict in the extreme, he 
submitted to without a murmur; cutting ofTthe right hand, plucking 
out the right eye, and casting away whatever might prove offensive to-' 
hi.-* spotless master, with all the determination of a deep-rooted at- 
tachment. He cast aside every weight, he resisted every sin, and 
neglected nothing that might prove either the sincerity of his zeal, 
or the fervor of his iove. He dedicated his time, his studies, his ac- 
quisitions, and his substance, to the service of his Lord ; and desired 
to present him, atonce, with his whole being, as a living sacrifice 
expressive of his entire devotion. As a minister of the Gospel, his 
devotion to Christ was expressed, if possible, in a still more ab^olu^e 
manner. He entered more universally into his service, a"nd mani- 
fested a greater degree of zeal for the honor of his name ; he imitated 
his perfections in a more unlimited sense, and interested himself 
more deeply in the extension of his kingdom upon earth ; his renunci- 
ation of the world became more complete, and his self-denial more . 
strict ; he acted with greater resolution, and suiTered with greater 
firmness in the cause of Christianity. His devotion to Christ was 
now carried to a higher pitch than most christians are willing to 
believe attainable in the present life. He had no interest to serve^ 
no inclination to gratify, nor any connection to maintain, but such. 
as flowed from his union with the holy Jesus. Wherever he came, 
he breathed the spirit of devotion, and wherever he was familiarly 
known, the purity, the fervor, the resolution, and. the constancy of 
that devotion, were universally apparent. He daily felt and acted in 
conformity to the powerful obligations, by which he was bound to the 
Captain of his salvation. His vows of inviolable affection and fidelity 
were solemnly renewed, as occasion offered, both in public and in pri- 
vate : and it was wonderful to observe, through all the vicissitudes of 
his christian warfare, how perfect a harmony^ was maintained be- 
tween his inclinations and his engagements, his habits and his profes« 
sion. It would be very easy to expatiate largely under this head, 
though very difficult to give a description, in any tolerable degree, 
adequate to the subject. Instead of presenting the reader with 
several pages upon the point now before us, it shall suffice to say, 
that this venerable man's entire devotion to Jesus Christ, as a minister 
of the Gospel,, was variously expressed in much patience, in afflkt'ions % 
in necessit.es, ?n distresses, in tabors, \n zvatchings, in fastings, by pureness, 
by knowledge, by long-sujfcring, by kindne$s y by the Hcly Ghost, by love 

unft igneci 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 33 

unfeigned, bj the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of 
righteousness on ike right hand and on the left, by honor and dishonor, by 
cvd report and good report. 



T 



TRAIT VI. 

His Strength and his Arms, 



HE ministers of the present age are furnished in a man- 
ner suitable to their design. As they are more desirous to 
please than to convert their hearers, so they are peculiarly 
anxious to embellish the inventions of a seducing imagination. 
They are continually seeking after the beauty of metaphors, 
the brilliancy of antitheses, the delicacy of description, the 
just arrangement of words, the aptness of gesture, the modu- 
lations of voice, and every other suidied ornament of artificial 
eloquence. While the true minister, effectually convinced 
of the excellence of the Gospel, relies alone, ibr the effect 
of his public ministry, upon the force of truth, and the assist- 
ance of his divine master. 

Observe the manner in which St. Paul expresses himself 
upon this subject ; We having the same spirit of faith, according 
as it is written, I believed, and tJterefore have I spoken ; we also 
believe, and thejrfore speak (a). And I, brethren, came not 
with excellency of speech, or of wisdom, declaring unto you the 
testimony of God : for I determined not to know any thing among 
you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified. And my speech and 
my preaching was not with enticing ivords of man's zvisdom, but 
in demonstration oftlie Spirit, and of power; that your faith should 
not stand in the ivisdom of men, but in the power of God (b). 
For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty, through 
God, to the pulling down of strong holds ; casting down imagi- 
tuitions, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the 
knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to 
the obedience of Christ (c). 

The true minister, following the example of St. Paul, 
after having experienced the power of these victorious arms, 
exhorts every soldier of Christ to provide himself with the 
same spiritual weapons. Finally, my brethren, be strong in the 

Lord, 
(a) 2 Cor.ir. 13, (b) 1 Cor. ii. 1—5. (c) 2 Cor. x. 4, 5, 



34 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Lord, and in the power of his might* Put on the whole armour 
of God, that ye may be able to stand. For ive wrestle not mere* 
ly against flesh and blood, but against principalities, ugatnit 
powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against 
spiritual voickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you 
the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the 
evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand, therefore, hav- 
ing your loins girt about with truth, having on the breast -plate 
of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the 
Gospel of peace: above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith 
ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And 
take the helmet of ' salvation 9 and the sword of the Spirit, which 
is the word of God. And, that you may perform heroical ser- 
vice with these arms, pray always with all prayer and suppli- 
cation in the spirit (d). 

So long as the faithful minister, or servant, of Christ 
wears and wields these scriptural arms, he will be truly in- 
vincible. But no man can gird himself with these invisible 
weapons, except he be born of the Spirit; nor can any chris- 
tian soldier employ them to good purpose., unless he be first 
endued with all that divine power, which flows from the love 
Of God and iiiaii : «e iii usi fee!, at least, some sparks of that 
fire of charity, which warmed the bosom of St. Paul, when 
he cried out* — JVheiher we be beside ourselves, it is to God : or 
whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ 
and of souls constraineth us (e). 

" From the time, that the eyes of St. Paul were opened 
" to a perception of the Gospel/' says Mons. Romilly, pastor 
of a church in Geneva, " we find him no longer the same 
(t person, He is another man, he is a new creature, who 
•* thinks no more but on Gospel truths, who hears nothing, 
" who breathes nothing, but the Gospel ; who speaks on no 
" other subject, who attends to no other thing but the voice 
" of the Gospel ; who desires all the world to attend with 
iS him to the same voice, and wishes to communicate his 
" transports to all mankind, from this happy period, nei- 
'.* ther the prejudices of flesh and blood, neither respect to 
et man, nor the rear of death, nor any other consideration is 
ie able to withstand him in his course. He moves on with 
" serenity in a path sown thick with reproaches and pain. 

" What 

(d) Epb. vi. 10 — 18. (e) 2 Cor. v. 13, U, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 35 

That has he to fear ? He despises the maxims of the 
n world, nay the world itself; its hatred as well as its 
" favor, its joys as well as its sorrows, its meanness as well 
94 as its pomp. Time is no longer an object with him, nor 
" is his economy regulated by it. He is superior to 
<{ every thing ; he is immortal. Though the universe arms 
u itself against him, though hell opeiii its abysses, though 
" affliction assaults him on every side, he stands immove- 
{f able in every storm, looking with contempt upon death, 
" conscious that he can never die. Superior to all his ene- 
" mies, he resists their united attempts with the arms of the 
" Gospel, opposing to time and hell, eternity and heaven/' 

NOTE VL 

HE, wlio engages himself to fight the battles of the Lord, has 
; of uncommon strength and irresistible aims; and if he be des- 
? of the one or the other, he vainly expects to stand in the evil 
day. The christian warrior is exposed to a vast variety of dangers, 
- with innumerable enemies. His whole life is one continued 
scene of warfare, in which he wrestles sometimes with visible, and at 
;r times with invisible adversaries. For the labors of this sacred 
warfare no man ever esteemed himself less sufficient than M. de la 
:, He ever considered himself as the weakest of Christ's ad- 
herents, and unworthy to follow his glorious standard. But, while he 
boasted no inherent strength, and was ready to occupy the meanest 
be was regarded by his brethren, as a man peculiarly strong in 
tke Lord, and in the power of his might. United to Christ, as the branch 
is uni-ed to the vine, he was constantly deriving abundant supplies of 
from the fountain-head of power. .And as the source of his 
strength was inexhaustible, so its operations were various and inces- 
sant. Now it was engaged in subduing sin ; and now, to laboring 
after that holiness, zcithont which no man shall see tke Lord : there it 
inspired the courage of the mighty, and here it sustained the burdens 
of the weak: at one time, it was discovered by resolution and zeal; 
at another, by resignation and fortitude : by the former, this man of 
God was enabled to grapple with his strongest enemy; by the latter, 
be was taught {o endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. His 
arms were equal to his strength, and served to make him truly invinci- 
ble in the cause of godliness. From his first admission into the true 
church militant, he was fully persuaded, that armour f >rgeu" by the 
art of man must needs be insufficient, either for conquest or security, 
in a spiritual warfare. He saw it absolutely necessary to be furnished 
with weapons of celestial temper, and Was altogether dissatisfied with 
his state, till he had put on the whole armour of God. He now appear- 
ed in the complete christian uniform, with a determined resolution 
never to put it off till his last conflict should be decided. From the 
he met of salvation to the sandals of peace, all was entire, and per- 
fectly 



3(5 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

fectly fitted to his spiritual frame. No mortal part was left unguard- 
ed, nor was any joint of his harness so loose, as to admit a thrust 
from the enemy. No part of his sacred panoply appeared uncouth or 
cumbersome, no part of his carriage constrained or unnatural: be 
appeared in arms, as in his proper dress, and not as David, when 
he assayed to go forth in the armour of Saul. On no occasion was he 
ever known to affect any thing like spiritual pomp ; yet, on every 
occasion, there was a dignity of character in his deportment, that 
raised the veneration of every beholder. As the heroes of antiquity 
were distinguished from warriors of an inferior order by the splendor 
of their arms, so by the uncommon lustre of his graces he was dis- 
tinguished as a chieftain in the christian bands. Nor was he remark- 
able merely for the worth and beauty of his arms, but principally for 
the important conquests he obtained by them over error and im- 
piety. Not to mention here the success of bis internal conflicts with 
sin and self, which have been already alluded. to; there are not want- 
ing at this day, in the parish and vicinity Of Madeley, many in- 
disputable proofs, that the weapons of his warfare were mighty, through 
God, to the pulling down of stro?ig holds. He attacked sin, in public 
and in private, under all its wonderful variety of appearances ; and 
never quitted the charge till he had either subdued, or put it to shame. 
Unawed either by numbers, or by power, he was superior to all the 
opposition that could be raised against him : and it may be confidently 
asserted, that no man was able to stand before him all the days of his life. 
That he had enemies, who were never subdued, will readily be grant- 
ed : but that any of those enemies were hardy enough openly to en* 
counter him, is absolutely denied. The despisers of religion consi- 
dered him as a man of an undaunted spirit in the cause of God • and 
the most daring among them, at the whisper of his approach, would 
seek the nearest shelter to screen themselves from his deserved 
rebuke. 

The weapon, by which he was enabled to perform the most 
memorable of his public services, was that sacred word, which is 
emphatically called, The sword of the Spirit, In the exercise of this 
two-edged instrument he was expert beyond description, turning it 
every way for the defence of the Gospel, and the overthrow of its 
opposers. With this he cut in pieces all the snares of the wicked, 
and with this he struck at the deepest root of sin : with this he divid- 
ed asunder, soul and spirit, joints and marrow : and wherever he aimed 
the determined blow, it was impossible for all the address of the sin- 
ner effectually to ward it off. Upon this he chiefly depended for the 
success of his ministry, as the only weapon, by which he could ever 
hope to penetrate through the prejudices of his people, and subdue 
their aversion to the glorious Gospel, While others are anxious to 
charm their hearers with " the studied ornaments of artificial elo- 
quence," his first care was, in simplicity and g6*dly sincerity, to 
declare the truth as it is in Jesus, Had he aimed at celebrity as a 
public speaker, furnished as he was with all the united powers of 
learning, genius, and taste, he might have succeeded beyond many, 
who are engi ged in so insignificant a pursuit. Rut his design was to 
convert, and not to captivate his hearers j to secure their eternal in- 
terests, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. '37 

interests, and not to obtain their momentary applause- Hence bis 
speech and his preacking was not zvith ent icing zv-giUs of man's wisdom., but 
in demonstration vj the 'Spirit, and, ofpozvcr. He spake as in the pre- 
sence of God, and taught as one having divine authority. There 
was an energy in his preaching, that was irresistible. His subjects, 
his language, his gestures, the lone of his voice, and the turn of hi* 
countenance, all conspired to fix the attention and affect the heait, 
Without aiming at sublimity he was truly sublime, and uncomrnordr 
eloquent without affecting the orator. He was v/ondroasly skided in 
adapting himself to the different capacities and conditions of his 
hearers: he could stoop to the ilhteiate, and rise with the learned; 
be had incontrovertible arguments for the sceptic, and powerful per- 
suasives for the listless believer; he had sharp remonstrance for 
the obstinate, and strong consolation for the mourner : and like a 
scribe throughly instructed unto the kingdom of heaven, he brought 
forth out of his treasures things ne:c and old, as occasion required. To 
hear him without admiration was impossible -, without profit, im- 
probable. The unthinking went from his presence under the i influ- 
ence of serious impressions, and the obdurate with kindled reieut- 
ings. Many an unsuspecting trifler has he enclosed in the Gospel 
net, and many a happy captive has he led, in the course of his pub- 
lic ministry, from darkless ti I'ghi, and from the power of Satan to God. 
I shall here transcribe a short passage from a letter addressed to the, 
translator of these volumes, by one of the author's esteemed friends. 
" I would rattier have heard," s?ys the writer, '* one sermon from 
<; M. de la Fiechere, won voce, than read a vo'mne of his works. His 
<f words were clothed with power, and entered with cfnrct. His 
*' writings are arrayed in all the garb of human literature. But his 
r * living word soared an ogle's Might above humanity. He bashed in 
U the sun, carried his young ones on his wings, and seized the prey 
" for his master. In short, his preaching was u^oUollc ; while hfs 
w writings, though enlightened, are -but human." 

That he was a successful preacher of the Gnspeh in his own, as 
well as in this country, the following little relation may terve as it 
sufficient proof. On his first visit to Switzerland, after entering into 
holy orders, he was waited upon by the clergy of Nyon, who several- 
ly pressed him to honor their pulpits during his stay at that place. 
On the morrow of his arrival, being the sabbath day, he addressed Ids 
countrymen in an admirable discourse, the result of much prayer and 
meditation. The subject matter of this sermon, and the manner in 
which it was delivered, were equally striking. The clearness and 
pathos, with which he expressed himself upon this occasion, attracted 
the attention of all, and filled many with a serious concern for the 
faith once delivered to the saints. Deists themselves listened with ad- 
miration; while the multitude appeared, as though they saw and 
heard something more than man. To adopt the French idea, ho 
carried off the whole audience. During his continuance at Nyon he 
preached in different churches, and wherever he was announced, 
multitudes flocked from all quarters to attend him. The reputation 
of his great abilities drew together persons of every description ; and 
it was truly refreshings says an intimate jfneud of M. de la Flechere 



S8 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

who was present upon these occasions, to behold the powerful 
effects of the Gospel among those, who before that time had seldom 
or ever heard it proclaimed in its purity. Many despisers of revela- 
tion were overawed and confounded ; many formal professors were 
touched with the power of true religion ; and many careless lovers of 
pleasure were impressed with a solemn sense of eternal things. One 
young man, in particular, was so deeply affected by the discourses of 
this powerful preacher, that he immediately resolved to consecrate 
himself to the service of God, in the work of the holy ministry. Ac- 
cordingly he betook himself, from that time, to studies of a sacred 
nature, and is at this day minister of the protestant church at 
Lyons. Among others, a good old minister, who was more than 
seventy years of age, heard him gladly ; and earnestly entreated him 
to lengthen out his visit at Nyon, though it should be but for a single 
week beyond the time proposed for his departure. He urged his 
request with much importunity : and when he found, that his desire 
could not conveniently be complied with, the old man wept, and, 
turning toPvl. de la viechere's fellow-traveller, aftectingiy exclaimed, 
" O Sir, how unfortunate for this country ; during my day it has pro- 
** duced but one angel of a man, and it is our lot tobe deprived 
** of him !" The benefit of his public labors in this place was signi- 
ficantly attested, by the numerous applications he received in pii- 
fate for religious instruction. And the -grateful sense his country- 
men entertained of those labors was fully expressed in their affection- 
ate concern at his departure from among them. Weeping multitudes 
crowded lound his carriage, anxious to receive a last word or look: 
and not a few followed his chariot wheels above two miles from the 
iown ; before they had resolution to tear themselves entirely away 
from the company of this venerable man. 

For Nyon to be deprived of the ministry of this illustrious divine 
was truly unfortunate : but it was equally happy for that favored 
village, which was appointed to be the scene of his exemplary labors. 
There his strength and his arms were chiefly exercised, and there his 
most important victories over sin were obtained. There his name 
will long continue to be had in honor : and from thence, many s\ 
goodly jewel will be collected to form foi him a crown .of rejoicing, in 
ihe day of the Lord, 



TRAIT VII. 

His power to bind, to loose, and to bless, in the name of the Lord. 

JL HE armour of God, described in the preceding article, 
)mmon to all christians : but the true minister is girded 
i weapons of a peculiar temper. As a christian, his 



is common 



sword 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 39 

Sword is the word of God in general ; but, as a minister, it is 

especially those parts of the Gospel, by which he is invested 
with authority to preach the word of God, and to perforin 
the functions of an ambassador of Jesus Christ. Go, said our 
blessed Master to his first disciples, and preach the Gospel to 
every creature. He, that believeth my doctrine, shall he saved : 
but he that believeth not, shall be damned (a). All power is given- 
unto me in Heaven and in earth. Go ye, therefore, and teach 
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of 'the 
Son, and of the Holy Ghost ; teaching them to obsewe all things, 
whatsoever I have commanded you. And to, I am ivithyou alway, 
even unto the end of the world (b) . Verily, verily I say unto you, 
he, that receiveth whomsoever I send, receiveth me ; and he, that 
receiveth me, receiveth Him that sent me (c). Verily I say unty 
you, vJiatsoever ye shall bind on earth, shall be bound in Hea- 
ven ; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth, according to the 
spirit of my Gospel, shall be loosed in Heaven (d), 

Behold, from whence the ministers of Christ have autho- 
rity to absolve true penitents, and to excommunicate obsti- 
nate sinners. An authority, which some have called the 
power of the clergy ; a power, which unrighteous pastors so 
much abuse, and which the faithful never presume to exer- 
cise, but with the utmost solemnity : a power, which, never- 
theless, belongs to them of divine right, and which can be 
denied them with no more reason, than they can refuse the 
sacramental cup to the people. Such, at least, is the judg- 
ment of many excellent and learned divines, among whom 
may be reckoned Mons. Ostervald, and Mons. Roques. It 
may however be enquired, with propriety, in this place — 
Can ecclesiastics be justified in still making use of their au- 
thority in these respects, unless they do it with prudence and 
impartiality r And would it not become them to exercise the 
ecclesiastic discipline, in an especial manner, upon unworthy 
pastors, following the maxim of St. Peter; The time is come, 
that judgment ?nust begin at the house of God (e) ? 

Invested with the authority, which Christ has conferred 
upon him, the true minister is prepared to denounce the just 
judgments of God against obstinate sinners, to console the 
dejected, and to proclaim the promises of the Gospel to every 

E 2 sincere 

(a) Mark xvi. 15,16. (b) Matt, xxviii. 18—20. (c) John xiii. 20. 
(d) Matt, xviii. IS, (e) 1 Pet. iv. 17, 



40 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

sincere believer, with an energy unknown to the worldly 
paslor, and with a power, which is accompanied by the seal 
of the living God. Thus, when such a minister clearly dis- 
cerns the profound malice of another Elymas, he is permitted 
to say, with the authority of an ambassador of Jesus Christ; 
O full of all subtilty, and all mischief, ikon child of the Devil, 
thou enemy of all righteousness, wilt thou not cease to pervert the 
right ivavs of the Lord ? Behold! the hand of the Lord shall be 
zipG?i thee (f). But the true minister is careful never to abuse 
this awful power. We can do nothing, says St. Paul, against 
the truth, but for the truth: I write these things being absent \ 
ksi being present , 1 should use sharpness, according to the power, 
which the Lord hath given me to edification, and not to destruc« 
tion (g). The denunciation of vengeance is to the minister 
of Christ, what the execution of judgment is to the God of 
love, his painful and strange work. 

The good pastor, conscious that the ministration of mercy 
exceeds in glory the ministration of condemnation, places his 
chief glory and pleasure in spreading abroad the blessings of 
the new covenant. He knows that the promises are yea, and 
wnen,jn that beneficent Redeemer, who gave the following 
charge to his first missionaries : Into whatsoever house ye enter , 
first say, Peace be to this house. And if the son of peace be there, 
your peace shall rest upon him : if not, it shall turn to you again 
(h). The wishes and prayers of a minister, who acts and 
speaks in conformity to the intent of this benign charge, really 
communicate the peace and benediction of his gracious mas- 
ter to those, who are meet for their reception : and accord- 
ing to ihe degree of his faith, he can write to the faithful of 
distant churches, with the confidence of St. Paul— I am per- 
suaded that when I come unto you, I shall come in the fulness of 
the blessing of the Gospel of Christ (i). Whenever he salutes 
his brethren, his pen or his lips become the channel of those 
evangelic a! wishes, which flow from his heart ; Grace be unto 
you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus 
Christ (k). The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of 
God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost be with you all (1). 
Thus the true minister approves himself a member of the 
royal priesthood, a priest of the most High, after the order of 

Melchisedec , 

(f) Ar ts xiii. 10, 1 1. (g) 2 Cor. xiii. 8, 10. (b) Luke x. 5, 6, 
(i) Rom. xv. 29. (k) Phil. i. 2. ' (1) 2 Cor. xiii. 14. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 41. 

Melchisedec, who blessed the Patriarch Abraham : or rather, 
a ministring servant of the son of God, who was manifested 
in the flesh, that in him all the families of the earth might be 
blessed, \ 

Great God ! grant that the whole company of christian 
pastors may be men after thine own heart. Leaving to the 
Jgnorant those compliments, which a slavish dependance has 
in vented, may thy ministers perpetually carry about them 
the love, the gravity, and the apostolic authority, which be- 
long to their sacred character. May all the benedictions, 
which thou hast commissioned them to pronounce, cause 
them still to be received, in every place, as angels of God 
(m). Far from being despised as hypocrites, shunned as> 
troublesome guests, or feared as men of a covetous and 
tyrannical disposition,, may that moment always be esteemed 
a happy one, in which they enter any man's habitation : 
and- whenever (hey make their appearance upon these 
charitable occasions,, may those who compose the family, 
each seeking to give the first salute, cry out — ffow beautiful' 
are the feet of them, that preach the Gospel of peace (n) .'. 

The power of pronouncing exhortations and blessings {< 
not the exclusive privilege of pasXors, hut belongs to all ex- 
perienced believers. The Patriarchs had a right to bless 
their children; and Jacob blessed not only his sons and, 
grandsons, but also the king of Egypt himself. If the fol- 
lowers of Christ, then, are deprived of this consolatory 
power, the children of ancient Israel were more highly pri- 
vileged than the members of the chrislian church, who are 
called, nevertheless, to receive more precious benedictions, 
and to be, as our Lord expresses it, the salt of the earth, and 
the light of the world. When St. Paul writes to believers: 
Desire spiritual gifts ; hut rather that ye max/ prophesy : for he 
that propliesieth, speaketh unto men to edification, to exhortation, 
and comfort (o) : he doubtless excites them to ask of Gor> 
that overflowing charity, and that patriarchal authority, 
without which, it is impossible for them fully to comply with 
the following apostolic injunctions; Bless, and curse not — • 
knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a 
blessing — and, without a high degree of which, they cannot 
sincerely obey those distinguished precepts of our blessed 

E "3 Lordr 

fa) Gal, iv. 14. (n) Rom, x, !5. (o) 1 Cor. xiv. 1, Cv 



42 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAUl. 

Lord ; Love your enemies, do good to them that hate you, and 
pray for than, ivhich despitefidly use you and persecute you (p). 

NOTE VII. 

M. de la Flechere, like the good pastor above described, was ac- 
customed to place his chief glory and pleasure in spreading abroad the 
benedictions of the Gospel. He considered the ministration of mercy 
as abundantly more glorious than the ministration of condemnation, 
and was disposed to magnify it as such upon all occasions. Experi- 
encing in his own heart the inestimable effects of mercy, he was 
anxious that all men should be partakers of his joy: and whenever 
be was engaged in pointing out the source of that mercy, its nature, 
its design, or the different degrees of its manifestation, he was then 
engaged in an employment peculiarly suited, both to his inclination, 
and his state. These were subjects, upon wbich he delighted to 
dwell, and upon which he had astonishing things to offer. His dis- 
position to universal benevolence was conspicuous through the whole 
of his spiritual progress, but especially in the latter years of his life, 
when his heart was as a vessel running over with christian charity. As 
the holy ointment ran down from the head of Aaron to the very skirts of 
his clothing ; so the charity of this exemplary pastor descended to, 
and embraced the very least and lowest of the human race. Wherever 
the smallest religious desire was expressed, be pronounced a blessing 
upon it ; and wherever the weakest endeavor after spiritual attain- 
merits was discoverable, he encouraged it with his congratulations, 
and strengthened it with his prayers : nay, wherever impiety op- 
posed h'm under its most malignant appearances, he met it with 
mingled commiseration and hope. Like a faithful imitator of the 
blessed Jesus, he came preaching peace, and breathing the most un- 
assembled good-will to all around him. Like his beneficent master, 
be went about either doing, or seeking to do good, in every possible 
way: and wherever he came, he appeared like some superior being, 
whose sole employment was to benefit and bless the children of men. 
In those houses, where the sons and daughters of peace were found, 
lie was welcomed a? a messenger of the most joyful tidings, and 
honored as an ambassador of Jesus Christ. These happy families 
submitted with joy to his paternal authority, and considered his pas- 
toral visits as an invaluable privilege. They looked upon their 
bouses as consecrated by his prayers, and received his benedictions 
with reverence and gratitude. 

That the prayers and benedictions of this venerable minister were 
*)f real importance, no reasonable doubt can be entertained j since 
the apostle James has expressly declared, that the effectual, fervent 
prayer of a righteous, man availeth much. In how many instances his 
fervent prayer has proved effectual cannot possibly be determined on 
this side the grave : but there is one instance of a public nature, in 
which this has evidently appeared to be the case, and which, from 
the time of his decease, has excited the admiration and thankfulness 

of 
(p) Rom. xii. 14. 1 Pet, iii, 9. Matt, v, 44. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST.. PAUL. 43 

of his surviving friends. The instance here alluded to, is the unex- 
pected continuance of a powerful and well-d reeted ministry in the 
i of Madeley. Upon the sudden removal of this great man, 
from the labors of his station to the enjoyment of his reward, nothing 
was more improbable than that he should be succeeded in that station 
by a person qualified, in any degree, to tread in hi- steps. His people 
began to look forward with a melancholy apprehension, that the 
place which had been so highly favored, with respect to religious cul- 
ture, would shortly be deprived of its beauty, and, perhaps, be 
laid utterly waste. Their lamented pasjor might have been succeed- 
ed by some person devoted to interest, to indolence, or pleasure: 
and it was for some time more than probable that it would be so. But, 
by a concurrence of wonderful providences, a man* was appointed to 
that important charge, whose unfeigned piety and ministerial abii- 
ties marked him out as the only suitable successor to so eminent a 
servant of God. This was acknowledged at the time, by every at- 
tentive observer, to be the Lord y $ do>ng. And, at this day, while the 
inhabitants of Madeley behold the labors of the deceased carried on 
with fidelity and success, they recollect the ardent prayers he was 
accustomed to offer, and the confidence he sometimes expressed, 
that God would assuredly provide a supply for the spiritual wants of 
his people, whenever a period should be put to his public ministry 
among them. 

While I bear testimony, in this note, to the patriarchal authority 
of Iff. de la Flechere, in pronouncing blessings upon his spiritual 
sons and daughters, I recollect, with thankfulness, that his benedic- 
tions and prayers will follow me through life. That those benedic- 
tions and prayers will open me a way to unexpected mercies, I 
presume not to say : but I trust they will never cease to act upon 
me, as a powerful stimulus, exciting me to walk worthy of that 
friendship and regard, with which I was so undeservedly honored by 
this holy man. 



TRAIT VIII. 

The earnestness with which he began, and continued to fill up the 
duties of his vocation, 

T 

A HE true penitent, having renounced himself for the honor 
of following his exalted Lord, stands faithfully in his own 
vocation, whether it be secular or ecclesiastic. He is pre- 
pared, upon all occasions, to perform the will of his gracious 
Master : and if he is commissioned to act as a minister of 
Christ, after furnishing himself with the whole armour oj God, 

he 
* The Rev, Melville Home, 



44 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. "PAUL. 

he will expose himself, without fear, to the most threatening 
dangers, that he may compel sinners to come in to the mar-' 
riage-supper of the Lamb. I rejoice, saith St. Paul, in my 
sufferings for the body of Christ, ivhich is the church, whereof I 
am made a minister, according to the dispensation of Cod > which 
is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God ; even the mystery 
which hath been hid from ages, but which is now made manifest to 
his saints : to whom God would make known, what is the riches 
of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles ; ivhich is Christ in 
you, the hope of glory : whom we preach, warning even/ ?nan, 
and teaching every man in all wisdom, that we may present every 
man perfect in Christ Jesus ; wJiereunto I also labor, striving ac- 
cording to his working, ivhich worketh in me mightily. For I 
would that ye knew what great conflict'! have for you, and for 
all those among whom the word of God is preached,, that their 
hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto 
all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the acknow- 
ledgement (f the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of 'Christ ; 
in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (a), . 

Such are the great ideas, which the Apostle Paul enter- 
tained of the ministry he had received : and observe the 
assiduity, with which he discharged the duties of so important 
an office — Ye know, says he, speaking to the pastors to whom 
he committed the care of one of his flocks, fwm the first day,: 
that I came into Asia, after what manner ! have been with i/ou 
at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind, and 
with many tears and temptations : and how ! kept' back nothing 
that was profitable unto you, but have shewed you, and have 
taught you publicly, and from house to house, testifying both to 
the jews and also to the greeks repentance toward God, and faith 
toward our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore ! take you to record 
this day, that ! am pure from the blood of all men. For ! have- 
not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. Take 
heed therefore unto yourselves ; for I know this, that after my de* 
parting shall grievous wolves, unfaithful pastors, enter in among 
you, not sparing the flock. Therefore watch, and remember, that 
by the space of three years I ceased not to warn every one night 
and day with tears (b). In every place he discharged, the 
obligations of a minister with the same application and zeal, 
travelling from city to city, and from church to church, bear- 
ing 

(a) Col. i. 34—29. ii. 1,2, 3. (b) Acts xx. 18— 31. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 45 

ing testimony to the redemption that is in Jesus, and declaring 
the great truths of the Gospel. When the synagogues were 
ahut against him, he preached in the schools of philosophers, 
upon the sea-shore, on shipboard, and even in prisons : and 
while he dwelt a prisoner in his own house at Rome, he re- 
ceived all, thai came in unto him, to ivhom he expounded and 
testified the Kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, 
both out of the Law of Moses and out of the Prophets, from mom* 
ing till evening (c). 

Thus the Son of God himself once publicly labored for 
the conversion of sinners, sometimes going through all Galilee, 
teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the Gospel (d) ; and 
at other times instructing the multitudes, who either followed 
him into the fields, or re*orted to the house where he lodged ; 
for there ivere many coming and going y and they had no leisure 
so much as to eat (e). And when, through the pleasure of 
bringing the Samaritans acquainted with spiritual truth, he 
disregarded the necessities of nature, his disciples, requesting 
him to partake of the food they had prepared, received from 
him this memorable answer : I have meat to eat, that ye know 
not of- — My meat is to do tlie will of him, that sent me, and to 
finish his work, that is, to enlighten and save sinners (f). 

Thus St. Paul was diligently and daily occupied in ful- 
filling the duties of his apostolic vocation; and thus every 
minister of the Gospel is called to labor in his appointed 
sphere. It remains to be known, whether all who do not 
labor, according to their ability, are not condemned by the 
following general rule ; if any will not ivork, neither should he 
eat (g). For these words signify, applied to the present 
case, that they who will not labor as pastors, should by no 
means be permitted to eat the bread of pastors ; an evange- 
lical precept this, which deserves the strictest attention, as 
the bread of pastors is, in some sort, sacred bread, since it 
is that, which the piety of the public has set apart for the 
support of those, who have abandoned every worldly pursuit, 
that they might dedicate themselves freely and fully to the 
service of the church. 



NOTE 



(c) Acts xxrin. 23. (d) Matt. vi. 91, (e) Mark vi. 31, 
(f) John iv. 31, 34. (g) 2 Thess. iii. 10. 



46 THE POE.TRAIT OF ST. PAWS'. 



NOTE VIII. 

IT was not immediately upon his entering into holy orders, thai 
IVI.de la Flechere was appointed statedly to labor in any particular 
place. As he still continued in the family of Mr. Hill, he was but 
occasionally called to exercise the ministry he had received. But, 
wherever he was invited to speak in the name of his master, he 
effectually distinguished himself from the generality of ministers, by 
the earnestness and zeal, with which he delivered his message. 
Whatever his hand found to do, in any part of the sacred vineyard, it 
may be truly said, that he did it with all his might : and there is much 
reason to believe, that even these occasional labors were not in vain in 
the Lord. It was about three years after his ordination, that he was 
presented to the living of Madeiey, where he had officiated for some 
time previous to this appointment. As Madeley was the place of his 
choice, so it was a place to which, by his rare endowments, he was 
peculiarly adapted; and for the reformation of which be appears to 
have been eminently appointed by the providence of God. Cele- 
brated for the extensive works carried on within its limits, Madeley 
was remarkable for little else than the ignorance and profaneness of 
its inhabitants, among whom respect to man was as rarely to be 
observed, as piety toward God. In this benighted place the sabbath 
was openly profaned, and the most holy things contemptuously 
trampled under foot; even the restraints of decency were violently 
broken through, and the external form of religion held up as a sub- 
ject of ridicule. This general description of the inhabitants of 
Madeley must not, however, be indiscriminately applied to every 
individual among them : exceptions there were to this prevailing 
character, but they were comparatively few indeed. Such was the 
place, where M. de la Flechere was called to stand forth as a preach- 
er of righteousness, and in which he appeared for the space of five and 
twenty years as a burning and shining light. 

Immediately upon his settling in this populous village, he entered 
upon the duties of his vocation with an extraordinary degree of 
earnestness and zeal. He saw the difficulties of his situation, and 
the reproaches to which he should be exposed, by a conscientious 
discharge of the pastoral office : but, persuaded of the importance of 
his charge, and concerned for the welfare of his people, he set his 
face like a flint against the persecuting rage of his enemies. As a 
steward of the manifold grace of God, he faithfully dispensed the 
word of life, according as every man had need ; instructing the ig- 
norant, reasoning with gainsayers, exhorting the immoral, and re- 
buking the obstinate. Instant in season and out of season, he 
diligently performed the work of an evangelist, and lost no opportu- 
nity of declaring the truths of the Gospel. Not content with 
discharging the stated duties of the sabbath, he counted every clay as 
jost in which he was not actually employed in the service of the 
church. As often as a small congregation could be collected, which 
was usually every evening, he joyfully proclaimed to them the ac- 
ceptable year of the Lord, whether it were in the place set apart 

for 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 47 

fur public worship, in a private house, or in the open air. And 
on these occasions, the affectionate and fervent manner in which 
he addressed his hearers was an affecting proof of the interest 
he took in their spiritual concerns. As the varying circumstances 
of his people required, he assumed a different appearance among 
them : at one season, he would open his month in blessings ; and, at 
another, he would appear, like his Lord amid the buyers and sellers, 
with the lash of righteous severity in his hand. But, in whatever 
way he exercised his ministry, it was evident, that his labors w r ere 
influenced by love, and tended immediately, either to the extirpation 
of sin, or the increase of holiness. Nor was he less attentive to the 
private duties of his station, than to public exhortation and prayer. 
Like a vigilant pastor, he daily acquainted himself with the wants 
and dispositions of his people, anxiously watching over their several 
households, and diligently teaching them from family to family. 
Esteeming no man too mean, too ignorant, or too profane, to merit 
his affectionate attention, he condescended to the lowest and most 
unworthy of his flock, cheerfully becoming the servant of all, that he 
might gain Ike more. In the performance of this part of his duty, he 
discovered an admirable mixture of discretion and zeal, solemnity 
and sweetness. He rebuked not an elder, but entreated him as a 
father; to younger men he addressed himself with the affection of a 
brother, and to children with the tenderness of a parent; witnessing 
both to small and great the redemption that is in Jesus, and persuad- 
ing them to cast in their lot with the people of God. In some of 
these holy visits, the earnest and constraining manner, in which he 
has pleaded the cause of piety, has melted down a whole family at 
once ; the old and the young have mingled their tears together, and 
solemnly determined to return right humbly to their God. There 
were, indeed, several families within his populous parish, to which he 
had no access, whose members, loving darkness rather than light, 
agreed to deny him admission, lest their deeds should be reproved. 
In such cases, where his zeal for the salvation oi individuals could 
not possibly be manifested by persuasion and entreaty, it was effec- 
tually discovered by supplication and prayer : nor did he ever pass 
the door of an oppo.ing family, without breathing out an earnest 
desire, that the door of mercy might never be barred against their 
approaches. With respect to his attendance upon the sick, he was 
exemplary and indefatigable. Anxious upon every suitable occasion 
to treat with his parishioners on subjects of a sacred nature, he was 
peculiarly solicitous to confer with them, when verging toward the 
borders of eternity. At such seasons, when earthly objects lose their 
charms, and the mind is naturally disposed to look for support from 
some other quarter, he cheerfully came in to improve the providen- 
tial visitation, either by salutary advice, or by seasonable consolation. 
These wrere valuable oppoituniues, which nothing could prevail upon 
him to neglect, fully convinced, that the dictates of truth are never 
more likely to make a due impression upon the heart, than when they 
are delivered iu the anti-chamber of death. His treatment of the 
dying was always regulated by their peculiar circumstances, and his 
fidelity toward them was sweetly tempered with compassion. If the 

departing 



4-8 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

departing soul was prepared for the promises of the Gospel, he thank* 
fully administered them with a lavish hand: if otherwise, he was 
importunate in prayer, that the mercy of God might be magnified 
upon his languishing creature, though it should be as at the eleventh 
hour. As he never visited the chambers of the dying, but in the 
spirit of earnest supplication, so he seldom quitted them without seme 
degree of consolatory hope. There is still another part of his duty 
in the discharge of which he discovered unusual earnestness and acti- 
vity. It was a common thing in his parish, for young persons of 
both sexes to meet at stated times, for the purpose of, what is called, 
recreation ; and this recreation usually continued from evening to 
morning, consisting chiefly in dancing, revelling, drunkenness, and 
obscenity. These licentious assemblies he considered as a disgrace to 
the christian name, and determined to exert his ministerial authority 
for their total suppression. He has frequently burst in upon these 
disorderly companies with a holy indignation, making war upon 
Satan in places peculiarly appropriated to his service. Nor was his 
labor altogether in vain among these children of dissipation and 
foily. After standing the first shock of their rudeness and brutality, 
his exhortations have been generally received with silent submission, 
and have frequently produced a partial, if not an entire reformation 
in many, who were accustomed to frequent these assemblies. With 
one of these persons I am perfectly acquainted, who, having treated 
this venerable pastor with ridicule .and abuse in one of these riotous 
meetings, was shortly afterwards constrained to cast himself at his 
feet and solicit his prayers. This man is now steadily walking in 
the fear of God, with a thankful remembrance of the extraordinary 
manner, in which he was plucked as a brand fromthe burning. 

These, and every other duty of his sacred vocation, among which 
I might have particularly noticed the public and private instruction 
of children, were performed by this apostolic minister with an ear- 
nestness and zeal, of which this note can convey but a very imper- 
fect idea. Never weary of well-doing, he counted it his greatest 
privilege to spend mid be spent in ministring to the church, which he 
constantly honored as the body of Christ, and in the service of which 
he sacrificed his strength, his health, and his life. 



TRAIT IX. 

The manner in which he divided his time between Prayer, Preach- 
ing and Thanksgiving. 

JL HE minister of the present age is but seldom engaged 
in publishing to his people the truths of the Gospel ; and still 
more rarely in supplicating for them the possession of those 
blessings, which the Gospel proposes. It is chiefly before 

men, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 49 

men, tliat he lifts up his hands, and' affects to pour out a 
prayer from the fulness of his heart : while the true minister 
divides his time between the two important and refreshing 
occupations of preaching and prayer ; by the former making 
a public offer of divine grace to his hearers, and by the latter 
soliciting for them in secret the experience of that grace. 
Such was the manner of the blessed Jesus himself, who* 
after having reproved his disciples for the low degree of their 
faith, retired either into gardens, or upon mountains, pray- 
ing that their faith ?night not fail. The good pastor, w r ho con- 
stantly imitates the example of his divine master, is prepared 
to adopt the following language of St. Paul, in addressing the 
flock, upon which he is immediately appointed to attend : 
i 7 or this cause I how my knees unto the Father of our Lord Jesus 
Christ, of whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named, 
that he would grant you, according to the riches of his gloiy, 
to be strengthened v:ith might by his spirit in the inner man ; that 
Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith ; that ye, being rooted 
and grounded in love, may be filled with all the fulness cf God 
(a). And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more mid 
more in knowledge, and in all judgment ; that ye may approve 
ihings that are excellent ; that ye may be sincere and without of- 
fence till the day of Christ ; being filled with the fruits of righte- 
ousness, nhich are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of 
God \h). By prayers like these, the Apostle Paul was ac- 
customed to water, without ceasing, the heavenly seed, 
which he had so widely scattered, through the vineyard of 
his Lord, manifesting an encreasing attachment to those, 
among whom he had at any time published the tidings of 
salvation, and breathing out, in all his epis'ies to distant 
churches, the mosi earnest desire, that God would fulfil in 
them all the good pleasure of his goodness, and the work of faith 
with power; that the name of the Lord, Jesus Christ might be 
glorified in tiitm, and they in Mm (c). 

Pastors, who pray thus for their flocks, prav not in vain. 
Their fervent petitions are beard: sinners are converted 
the faithful are edified, and thanksgiving is shortly joined to 
supplication. Thus the same apostle— / thank my God always 
on your behalf f\r ihe grace of God, which is givengou hy Jesus 
Christ : that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, 

F and 

(a) Eph.nl. H— 19. (b) Phil, I 9—11. (c) 2 Tfcess. i, 11, 12 C 



50 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

and in all knowledge. • So that ye come behind in no gift, voait* 
ivgfor the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ (d). Having heard 
of your faith in the £ord Jesus, and your love unto all the saints, 
I cease not to give thanks for you (e). 

Worldly ministers have no experience of the holy joy, 
that accompanies these secret sacrifices of praise and thanks- 
giving. But this can by no means be considered as matter 
of astonishment. Is their attachment to Christ as sincere as 
that of his faithful ministers ? Are they as solicitous for the 
salvation of their hearers ? Do they teach and preach with 
equal zeal? Do they pray with the same ardor and perse- 
verance ? 

NOTE IX. 

IT is sufficiently evident, from what has been already advanced, 
;fhat M. de 3a Flechere was far more abundant in his public labors 
than the greater part of his companions in the holy ministry. These 
public labors, however, astonishing as they were, bore but little pro- 
portion to those internal exercises of prayer and supplication, to 
which he was wholly given up in piivate. The former, of necessity, 
were frequently discontinued ; but the latter were almost uninter- 
ruptedly maintained from hour to hour. He lived in 'the spirit of 
prayer; and whatever employments he was engaged in, this spi.it 
was constantly manifested through them all. Without this, he ba- 
ther formed any design, nor entered upon any duty ; without ttiisj he 
neither read, nor conversed ; without this, he neither visited nor re- 
ceived a visitant. Before J was of sufficient age to tak<? holy 
ordeis, I thankfully embraced the offered privilege of spending a few 
months beneath the roof of this exemplary man., to whom I was at 
that time an entire stranger : and I well remember how solemn art 
impression was made upon my heart, by the manner in which he 
received me. He met me at his door with a look of inexpressible 
benignity; and conducting me by the hand into his house, intimated 
a desire of leading me immediately into the presence of that God, to 
whom the government 6f his little family was ultimately submitted. 
Instantly he fell upon his knees, and poured out an earnest prayer, 
that my present visit might be rendered both advantageous and com- 
fortable, that the secret of the Lord might rest upon our common 
tabernacle, and that our society might be crowned by an intimate 
fellowship with that promised Emmanuel, in whom all the families of 
the earth are called to inherit a blessing. This may serve as a 
specimen of the manner in which he was accustomed to receive his 
guests. In his social prayers, he paid but little attention to 
those rules which have been laid down,' with respecttothe composition 
and order of those devotional exercises. As the spirit gave him ut- 
terance, 

(d) 1 Cor. i, 4-7. (e) Fph. i. 15, 16.. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. ?AVL, >i 

ferance, so he made bis requests known r.nto God. But, while he 
prayed with the Spirit, he prayed with the understanding also. His 
Words flowed spontaneously, and without any premeditation, tho 
always wonderfully adapted to the occasion. Nothing impertinent, 
artificial, or superfluous, appeared in his addresses to the Deity : and 
while he presented those addresses, there was a solemnity and ani- 
mation in his manner, which tended not only to edify, but to quicken 
and exalt (he soul. There have been seasons ot supplication, in 
which he appeared to be carried out far beyond the ordinary limits of 
devotion : when like his Lord upon the mount, while he has continued 
to pour out his mighty prayer, the fashion of his countenance has been. 
changed, and his face has appeared as the face of an angel. None, 
except those who have frequently joined with him in this enlivening 
duty, can have any just conception of the manner in which he per- 
formed it. They, who have enjoyed this privilege, have seen and 
felt what is not to be described ■ and to others it can only be said, 
that his prayer was the prayer of faith, always fervent, often effectu- 
al, and invariably a mingled flow of supplication and gratitude, 
humility and confidence, resignation and fervor, adoration and love. 

By the ardor of his social prayers, some judgment may be formed 
of his secret supplications: but of his frequent vehement struggles 
and unutterable breathings in these private exercises, He alone can 
judge, ii.ho seeth in secret. His deepest and most sensible communica- 
tions with God were enjoyed in those hours when the door of his 
c!o>et was shut against human creatures, as weil as human cares. 
And though he rejoiced to lift up his hands in company with his 
friends ' } yet, when his heart was at any time peculiarly inflamed 
With desire, or pressed with affliction, he would say to his friends, as 
Christ to his disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder. His 
closet was the favorite retirement to which he constantly retreated, 
whenever his public duties allowed him a season of leisure. Here he 
was privily hidden as in the presence of God. Here he would 
either patiently wait for, or joyfu'iy triumph in, the loving-kindness 
efthe Lord. Here he would plunge himself into the depths of hu- 
miliation ; and from hence at other seasons, as from another Pisgah, 
he would take a large survey of the vast inheritance, which is re- 
served for the saints. Here he would ratify his solemn engagements 
to God : and here, like the good king Hezekiah, he would spread the 
various circumstances of his people, at the feet of their common 
Lord. In all cases of difficulty he would retire to this consecrated 
place, to ask counsel of the Most High ; and here, in times of uncom- 
mon distress, he has continued during whole nights in prayer before 
God. At one period of his life, he was brought into such an intricate 
situation, that he was wholly at a loss to discover, what God require I 
at his hand: and such was the difficulty before him, that the opinions 
of his most experienced friends could afford him but little light with 
respect to it. In this state, for three months successively, he spread 
the intricacies or hiv case before the Judge of all the earth, entreating 
that he would direct the course of his conduct, by the order of his 
providence and the influence of his Spirit. His request was con- 

T 2 tinued 



52 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

tinned till an answer was obtained, which was not till the wall of b« 
chamber could exhibit a proof of his vehement intercession ; that 
part of it, against which he was accustomed to kneel, appearing 
deeply stained with the breath he had spent in fervent supplication : 
such was the ardor of his spirit, and such the devotion of his heart. 
The above circumstance was discovered by some about him, who 
were well acquainted with his manner in trying situations. 

3-Iis preaching was perpetually preceded, accompanied, and suc- 
ceeded, by prayer. Before he entered upon the performance of this 
duty, he requested of the great Master of assemblies a subject adapt- 
ed to the conditions of his people; earnestly soliciting for himself 
wisdom, utterance, and power; for them a serious frame, an unpre- 
judiced mind, and a retentive heart. This necessary preparation, 
i'or the profitable performance of bis ministerial duties, was of longer 
or shorter duration, according to his peculiar state at the time: nn<\ 
frequently he could form an accurate judgment of the eifect, that 
would be produced in public, by the languor or enlargement he had 
experienced in private. The spirit of prayer accompanied him from 
the closet to the pulpit; and white he was outwardly employed in 
pressing the truth upon his hearers, he was inwardly engaged in 
pleading that last great promise of his unchangeable Lord, 1 am with 
you alway, even unto the end of the world. 

From the great congregation he again withdrew to his sacred re- 
treat ; there requesting, in secret, that a blessing might accompany 
hh public labors, and that the seed which he had sown, being trea- 
sured up in honest and good hearts, might sooner or later become 
abundantly fruitful. 

While it is here recorded, that this faithful servant of God was 
accustomed to pray without ceasing, it must be noted at the same time, 
as a distinguishing part of his character, that in every thing he gam 
ihanh. His heart was always in a grateful frame, and it was his 
chief delight to honor God by offering him thanks and praise. Fre-* 
cjuently when he has been engaged in recounting the gracious deal-; 
ings of God with respect to himself, or his signal favors conferred 
upon the church, he has broke out in a strain of holy rejoicing, Oh 
that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness, and declare (he 
ivonders that he doethfor the children of men ! He considered every un- 
expected tuin of providence as a manifestation of his Father's good 
pleasure, and discerned eauses of thanksgiving, either obvious or 
latent, in every occurrence. Thus, either in the expectation, or i« 
the possession, of promised mereies, he rejoiced evermore* The imme- 
diate causes of his joy were manifold, public and private, spiritual 
and tempo; al ; but ihey all were swallowed up in the advancement of 
Christ's kingdom upon earth. This he considered as a subject of uni- 
versal rejoicing, and for this he move especially desired to praise the 
name' of God vsifJl u >ong, and to magnify it with thanksgiving. 

As he has justly expressed it in the trait above — " Pastors, who 
" pray for their thicks, pray not in vain.' Their fervent petitions are 
^ heard ; sinners are converted, the faithful are edified, and thanks- 

" giving 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 53 

jhortly joined to supplication." With respect to himsetf 
it oras abunc. int ly so. The seed, which he had watered with his 
ith his prayers, produced at length a plen 

harvest. Bis ministry was attended with unusual success, and a 

cons s people sainted each other as brethren ia 

- exultation over these, in their regenerate estate, was 

. -: 'heir account : and as often as an 

seated itself of leading a penitent prodigal into the 

household of God, his carriage has been marked by every possible 

lonsfration of joy. Leading the returning wanderer into bis 

spiritual fa&ily, he would cry out, with a countenance full of holy 

;nh ; ■ If there be joy in the presence of the angels of God over 

e s , tier that repentelh, then it is meet, that we should rejoice and 

be glad together this day ; for this my son was dead and is aliae again, 

:s tost and is found,* His joy was continually receiving some ac- 

ni of this kind. From year to year sinners were converted 

from the erryr of their ways, and believers were built up in their most 

faith: while be appeared among them as a happy father, 

rejoicing in their prosperity, and blessed in the blessings of hi> 

spiritual children. Such were the different states of earnest 

prayer, and joy rV.l praise, with which this evangelical preacher was 

quainted, and which mutually preceded and succeeded: 

is Christian experience. 



TRAIT X. 

TJi€ fidelity . . he announced the severe t 

and consolatory promises of the Gospel. 



T 



HE worldly minister has neither the courage nor the 
tenderness of the true paslor. He is fearful of publishing 
those truths, which -are calculated to alarm the careless sin- 
ner; and he knows not in what manner to apply the pro- 
raises of the Gospel, for the relief of those who mourn. If 
; he attempts to descant upon the consolatory truths of 
the Gospel, he only labours to explain, what is nearly unin- 
telligible to himself; and all his discourses on subjects of this 
nature are void of that earnest persuasion, and that unction 
of love, which characterize the ministers of Christ. On the 
other hand, his dread of giving offence will not suffer him 
to address sinners of everv rank, with the holy boldness of 
the Prophet Samuel: If s will not obey the voice of the Lord, 
■ the commandment cf the Lord, then shall the 
Lord be against you. If ye still do wickedly, ye s 

F 3 he 



54- THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

be consumed (a). The faithful pastor, on the contrary, 

conscious that the harshest truths of the Gospel are as neces- 
sary as they are offensive, courageously insists upon them, 
in the manner of St. Paul — Thinkest thou, man, that doest 
such things, that thou shah escape the judgment of God ? Know 
this, that after thy hardness and impenitent heart thou treasurest 
up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath, and revelation of 
the righteous judgment of God : for indignation and wrath, tri- 
bulation and anguish, shall he upon every soul of man that doeth 
evil (b) . jf every transgression under the first covenant received 
a just recompense of reward, how shall we escape if we neglect 
so great salvation, which at the first began to he spoken by the 
Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him (c). 
This ye know , that no unclean person, nor covetous man, hath 
any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God: let no 
man deceive you with vain ivords ; for because of these tilings 
cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience (d). 
See that ye refuse not 1dm tluit speaketh : for if they escaped not, 
who refused him that spake on earth, viz. the prophet Moses ; 
much more shall not we escape, if we turn away from him that 
speaketh from Heaven, viz. the Saviour Jesus Christ. Where- 
fore let us serve God acceptably, with reverence and godly fear : 
for our God is a consuming fire (e). 

But though the true minister courageously announces the 
most severe declarations of the word to the unbelieving and 
the impenitent ; yet he is never so truly happy, as when he 
invites the poor in spirit to. draw forth the riches of grace 
from the treasury of God's everlasting love. God hath 

not, saith St. Paul, appointed us to wrath ; hut to obtain salva- 
tion by our Lord Jesus Christ ff). This is a faithful' saying, 
and worthy of nil acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the 
world to save sinners (g). Ye are not come unto the mount that 
burned with fire, nor unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest. 
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto tJie city of the living 
God, and to Jesus, tlte Mediator of the new covenant, and to the 
blood of sprinkling, that speaketh fetter things than that of Abeh 
Having, therefore, brethren, boldness to enter into the holiest by 
the blood of Jesus, and having an High Priest over the House of 
God, let us draw near with a true heart, in full assurance of 

faith 

(a) I Sam. xii. 15, 85, (b) Rom. ii. 3, 5, 9. (c) Heb. ii. 2, 3. 
(d) Eph. v. 5, 6. (e) Heb. xii. 25-— 29. (f) 1 These, v. 9. (g) 1 Tim, x. 15. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 55 

faith (h). If, when toe were enemies, we were reconciled to 
God by t/ie death of his Son ; much more, being reconciled, we 
shall be saved by his life. He, that spared not his own Son, but 
delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely 
give us all things ? Who shall lay any thing to the charge of 
God 3 s elect ? It is God that justifieth : wlio is he, that con- 
demneth ? It is Christ that died, ysa, rather that is risen again, 
who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh mter~ 
cession for us (i). 

When these exhilarating declarations are found insuffi- 
cient to revive the hearts of the contrite, the evangelical 
preacher fails not to multiply them, in the most sympathiz- 
ing and affectionate manner. I say unto you, continues he, 
all manner of sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven unto men: 
for the blood of Jesus Christ cleanseth from all sin (k). And 
by him all, who believe, are justified from all things, from 
which ye could not be justified by the law of Moses (1). TJiere 
is therefore now no condemnation to them, which are in Christ 
Jesus (m) : for where sin abounded, grace did much more 
abound (n). 

Such are the cordials which the faithful evangelist ad- 
ministers to those, who are weary and heavy laden ; pre- 
cious cordials, which the wordly pastor can never effectually 
apply ; which he either employs out of season, or renders 
useless by such additions of his own, as are contrary to, the 
spirit of the Gospel. 

NOTE X. 

Rightly to divide the word of truth is a work of no little import- 
ance in the church of God. Here fidelity and skill are equally- 
necessary; and, if either be wanting, the work will be incomplete. 
With respect to the latter, either as it regards the word of God, or as 
it relates to the human heart, M. de la Flechere was abundantly 
qualified for the discharge of his ministerial duties. As to the human 
heart, be had so long and so accurately investigated his own, that he 
was not easily deceived in forming a judgment of bis neighbour's. 
He knew 7 its depths as well as its shallows, and its subtil artinees as 
well as its natural tempers ; he explored its intricate mazes, and 
unlocked its secret recesses with wonderful ease ; and could gener- 
ally discover its real situation through all its assumed disguises. 
With regard to the word of God, he had studied it with so much 

constancy 

(h) Heb. xii. IS, 24. x. 19, 22. (i) Rom. r. 10. viii. 32, 34. 

(k) Matt. xii. 31. 1 John i. 7. (I) Acts xiii. 59. 

(m) Rom. viii. 1. (n) Rom. v. 20. 



56 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

constancy and care, that he was perfectly familiar with every part of 
it. He was deeply read in the spiritual sense of the word, and had a 
happy talent at reconciling its apparent contradictions. He could 
select from it, with the utmost readiness, truths of every different 
tendency ; and knew how to apply them, not only in common cases, 
~but in the most extraordinary exigencies of God's people. His 
ndelity, in addressing the different classes of his hearers, was corre- 
spondent to that spirit of discernment and wisdom, with which he 
was so eminently favored. On the one hand, he never attempted 
slightly to heal the hurt of his people : and, on the other, he was so- 
licitous never to make sad the hear: of the righteous, whom God had not 
made sad. Wherever he discovered impiety in the conduct, or 
hypocrisy in the heart, he immediately levelled against it the keenest 
arrows of conviction. He warned the wicked of his way, and fre- 
quently endeavoured to draw him from it by alarming his heart with 
salutary fears: selecting and applying upon these occasions those 
passages of holy writ, which are peculiarly profitable for reproof and 
correction : and, whenever it became necessary, he marshalled against 
the careless sinner the most terrible denunciations of the Almighty's 
wrath. In the performance of this part of his duty, he paid but 

little regard to the outward circumstances of the offending party. 
Whether the enemies of God appeared in the splendor of riches, os 
in the meanness of poverty ; whether they were distinguished by. 
their erudition, or despicable by their ignorance, he met them with 
equal firmness in the cause of truth. The style of his reproofs was 
adapted, indeed, to the various capacities and habits of these different 
classes of men ; but the substance of those reproofs was invariably* 
the same to whatever class they were directed, neither sharpened by 
contempt, nor blunted by respect. Unawed either by the majesty of 
kings, or the madness of the people, he was equally fitted to appear 
with Moses at an impious court, or to stand with Stephen in a tur- 
bulent assembly. But though he was far from betraying any p.usiU 
lanimity in applying the severe threatenings of the Gospel to the 
obstinately impenitent j yet his hearty in this awful employment, 
was never steeled against the feelings of humanity. His fidelity in 
this part of his duty was never unaccompanied with compassion and 
sorrow. He possessed the firmness of Daniel, with all the benevo- 
lence of that favored prophet. Daniel was once directed to interpret 
and apply to Nebuchadnezzar a mysterious vision of divine ven- 
.geance ; and the fidelity, with which he performed so painful a duty, . 
is worthy of admiration. But, while his interpretation was plain 
and his application pointed, it is observable, that they were preceded 
by evident regret, and followed by affectionate counsel. Such was 
the manner of M. de la Flechere, who had learned, from a greater 
than Daniel, to pronounce a sentence of condemnation with anguish 
and tears. Luke xix. 41. 

But, while he was faithful in proclaiming the day of vengeance to 
the disobedient, he neglected not- to proclaim liberty to the captives, and 
the opening of the prison to them that are bound. Both these parts of his 
duty he performed with iidelity j but the latter only with alacrity and 

cicei- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 51 

cheerfulness. "Peculiarly to fit him for this evangelic service, the 
Lord God had given him the tongue of the learned, that lie should knozv hotv 
to speak a zvord in season to h'>Pi that was zceary ; and, in the discharge of 
this favorite part of his office, he was equally skilful, tender, and 
happy. His watchful eye was upon the weak, the faint, and the 
afflicted. He diligently acquainted himself with the nature and 
causes of their distress ; and whether they fainted through the anguish 
of remorse, or groaned beneath the violence of temptation, he had a 
suitable cordial prepared for their relief. He placed before their eyes 
a rich display of God's everlasting love, and assisted them to extract 
healing virtue from his unchangeable promises. He feelingly exhort- 
ed them to stretch out the withered hand j and, till they were enabled 
actually to lay held on the hope set before them> he ceased not to proclaim, 
The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, abundant 
in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity} 
transgression, and sin. He was throughly acquainted with the treat- 
ment of afflicted consciences. He knew when to probe, and when to 
heal ; when to depress, and when to encourage : and no man's ease 
was so perplexed or desperate, but he was in some measure prepared 
to explain and relieve it. He discovered hope for the spiritual mourn- 
er amid the most hopeless circumstances, and furnished the tempted 
with a clew to guide them through the intricacies of their situation, 
As the psalmist addressed his own heart in distress, so he addressed 
himself to every son of affliction; in the day of his trouble. He rea- 
soned over the particular case of the arBicted person . — Why art thou 
sa full ofne'ivme&s, and why is thy soul so disquieted zoiihin thee? art thoia 
afflicted beyond the common lot of thy companions in tribulation, 
or has any temptation befallen ihee, except suck as is common to man * 
From reasoning he proceeded to encouragement — Hope thou i?i God: 
reflect upon his nature, depend upon his word, and ask of the genera- 
tions that a: « past, who ever trusted in the Lord and was confounded ? 
From encouragement he rose to assurance — Thou sfiali yet praise Aim, 
notwithstanding the present unpromising appearances : the Oop of 
all consolation shall be thy God, the health of thy countenance^ and thy 
portion for ever* 

He was ever anxiously desirous, that the voice of joy and health 
might be heard in the dwellings of the righteous ; nor would he be con- 
tented, till he could prevail upon the sorrowful to bear some hanno* 
nious part in the work of adoration and thanksgiving. But it is impos- 
sible to give a just representation of the sweet and condescending 
manner, in which he treated every spiritual mourner. He would 
take up their neglected harps, and tune them to the praises of un- 
changeable love. He woald furnish them with a variety of sacred 
themes, and solicit them, at least, to attempt one of the Songs of Sion. 
And while they lingered, he would sweetly take the lead in celebrating 
the divine goodness — Now he recorded mercies past, and now he 
recounted promised blessings ; now he sung the wonders of grace, and 
now he pointed to the mysteries of glory. But if it appeared, after 
all these animating efforts on his part, that the mourners among his 
people were unable to accompany him in these joyful exercises, he 
would suddenly change his song, of praise into a strain of supplicatiou, 

and 



58 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

and earnestly implore for them the light of His gracious countenance, 
whose prerogative it is, to appoint beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for 
mourning, and the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. 

Thus, with all possible plainness and fidelity, this animated 
preacher administered the good \yord of God in. his day and genera- 
tion, whether it was a word of threatening to the careless and imperii* 
lent, or a word of consolation to the feaiiul and afflicted. 



TRAIT XI. 

His profound Humility * 

T 

-a- HERE is no evil disposition of the heart, with which 
the clergy are so frequently reproached, as pride. And it is 
with reason that we oppose this sinful temper, especially 
when it appears in pastors, since it is so entirely contrary 
to the spirit of the Gospel, that the apostle Paul emphati- 
cally terms it, Ihe condemnation of the Devil (a). 

There is no amiable disposition, which our Lord more 
strongly recommended to his followers, than lowliness of 
mind. From his birth to his death, he gave himself a 
striking example of the most profound humility joined to the 
most ardent chanty. After having washed the feet of his 
first disciples^i* ei after he had taken the place c»f a slave at 
their feet, he addressed therh as follows — Know ye , what J 
have done unto you f Ye call me Master, and Lord : and ye say 
well : for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master, haze 
washed your feet ; ye ought also to wash, one another's feet. For 
J have given you an example, that ye should do as J have done 
to you. Verily, verily I say unto you, the servant is not greater 
than his Lord ; neither he, that is sent, greater than he that 
sent him '(b). .Again he says to the same effect — Ye knoiv, 
thai the princes of the gentiles exercise dominion over them, and 
they that are great, exercise authority upon them. But it shall 
not be so among you : but ivhosoever will be great among you, let 
him be your minister : and whosoever will be chief among you , 
let him be your servant: even as the Son of man came not to be 
ministered unto, but to minister (c). 

Real Christianity is the school of humb'e charity, in 

which 
fa). 1 Tim. iii. 6. (b) John xiii. 12 — 16. (c) Mark x. 42—45= 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 59 

which every true minister can say, with Christ, according 
to his growth in grace, Learn of me, for I am meek and loidy 
in heart ; and ye shall find rest unto your souls. And unhappy 
will it be for those, who, reversing Christianity, say, by their 
example, which is more striking than all their discourses, 
Learn of us to be fierce and revengeful, at the expense of peace 
both at home and abroad. They, who receive the stipends of 
ministers, while they are thus endeavouring to subvert the 
religion, they profess to support, render themselves guilty, 
n^t only of hypocrisy, but of a species of sacrilege. 

It is supposed, that St, Peter had the preeminence 
among the apostles, at least by his age : it is cercain, that he 
spake in the name of the other apostles ; that he first con- 
fessed Christ in two public orations ; that our Lord conferred 
particular favors upon him ; that he was permitted to be one 
of the three witnesses of his Master's transfiguration and 
agony; and that, on the day of Pentecost, he proved the 
pow^r of his apostolic commission, by introducing three 
thousand souls at once into the kingdom of Christ. Far, 
however, from arrogating, upon these accounts, a spiritual 
supremacy over his brethren, he assumed no other title but 
that, which w r as given in common to all his fellow laborers 
in the ministry ; The elders which are among you , says he, / 
exhort, zvho am also an elder : Feed the flock cf God which is 
among you, taking the oversight thereof, not for filthy lucre 3 but 
of a ready mind ; neither as being lords over God's heritage, but 
being ensamples to the flock (d). A piece of advice this, 
which is too much neglected by those prelates, who distin- 
guish themselves from their brethren yet more by an anti- 
christian pride, than by those ecclesiastical dignities, to 
which they have made their way by the intrigues of ambi- 
tion- 
All pastors should seek after humility with so much ihe 
greater concern, as some among them, seduced with the 
desire of distinguishing themselves as persons of eminence in 
the church, after making certain ecclesiastical laws contrary 
to the word of God, have become persecutors of those, who 
refused submission to their tyrannical authority. Observe 
tere the injustice of some modern philosophers, who misre- 
presenting the christian religion, a religion which breathes 
milling but humility and love, set it forth as the cause of all 

the 
(d) 1 Peter v, 1, 3. 



SO THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

the divisions, persecutions, and massacres, which have ever 
been fomented or perpetrated by its corrupt professors, 
Disasters, which, far from being the produce of real Chris- 
tianity, have their principal source in the vices of a super- 
cilious, uncharitable, and antichristian clergy. 

The church will always be exposed to these imputations, 
till every ecclesiastic shall imitate St. Paul, as he ia^itated 
Christ. That apostle, ever anxious to tread in the steps of 
his divine Master, was peculiarly distinguished by his humi- 
lity to God and man. Ever ready to confess his own native 
poverty, and to magnify the riches of grace, he cries out — 
Who is sufficient for these things f who is properly qualified to 
discharge all the functions of the holy ministry? Such trust 
have we through Christ to God-ward : not that we are sufficient 
of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves ; but our sufficiency 
is of God, who also hath made us able ministers of the new Tes- 
tament ; not of the letter, but of the spirit ; for the letter killeth, 
but the spirit giveth life (d). Who is Paul, and who is Apollos, 
but ministers by wham ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every 
man ? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the in- 
a^ease. So then, neither is he thai planteth any thing, neither he 
that watereth : but God that giveth the increase (e). / am the 
least of the apostles, that am not meet to be called an apostle : 
but by the grace of God I am what I am (f). God hath shined 
in our hearts, to give the light of the knoivledge of the glory of 
God in the face of Jesus Christ : but we have this treasure in 
earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, 
and not of us (g). 

If the humility of St. Paul is strikingly evident in these 
remarkable passages, it is still more strongly expressed in 
those that follow. Ye see, brethren, that not many wise men 
after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, arc called. But 
God hath chosen the foolish things of the ivor Id to confound the 
wise, and the weak things of the world to confound the things 
which are inighty; and base things of the ivorld, and things 
which are despised, hath God chosen ; yea, and things ivhich 
are not, to bring to nought things that are ; that no fttsh shoidd ■ 
glory in his presence (h). Unto me, who am less than the least 
of all saints, who am nothing, ivho am the chief of sinners, is this 



grace 



01) 2 Cor. ii. 16. iii. 4, 6. (o) 1 Cor. ii'. 5, 7. (0 1 Cor. xv. 9^ 
(g) 2 Cor. iv. 6, 7. * (h) 1 Cor. i. 26, 29. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 61 

grace given, that I should preach the ur&eurchabk riches of 

Christ (i). 

Reader, if thou hast that opinion of thyself, which is ex- 
pressed in the foregoing passages, thou art an 
tiao. Thou canst truly profess thyself the servant of all those 
who salute thee; thou art such already by thy charitable 
intentions, and art seeking occasions of demonstrating, by 
actual services, that thy tongue is the organ, not of an insi- 
duous politeness, but of a sincere heart. Like a true disci- 
ple of Christ, who concealed himself when the multitude 
would have raised him to a throne, and who presented hi 
self when they came to drag him to his ex ;st a 

sacred pleasure in humbling thyself before God a;;i oa 
and art anxious, without hypocrisy or affectation, to take 
the lowest place among thy brethren* 

The humble christian, convinced of his wants and his 
weakness, fecks it impossible to act like thpse proi 
bashful poor, who will rather perish in their distress, than 
solicit toe assistance of their brethren. St. Paul had nothing 
of this false modesty about him. Penetrated with a c 
sense of his own uimorthiness and insufficiency, after jm- 
ploring for himself the gracious assistance of God, 
framblv solicits the prayers of all the : : Brethren, pray 

for us (ky. 1 beseech you, brethren, far the Lord It 

:, aid fir : '.: lom if 'the Sp ... ; :.,:; . Hi h . I jgei 5 
prayers for me (I). Pray aki-ays far a 
that utterance may be given me, that I may open my : 
ly to make known tke mystery of the Gospe;, far which I a 
ambassador in bonds : that therein I may speak boldly as I 
ought to speak (m) : You also condoning to hep by p 
us, that, for the pon us by the men 

sons, thanks may be given on om : . * (rij. 

Thus humility, or poverty of spirit, which is set ; 
Christ as the first beatitude, leads us, by prayer, to all the 
benedictions of the Gospel, and to that lively gratk 
which gi\ es birth to thanksgn ing and joy. Lovt i 
_pc: the hearts of aH christians, fe ever, 

give peace to the church, and happiness to the unive. 

G NOTE 

0: .2- 2Coc.xii.il. I Tim. i. 15. (k)lT -•. . 

(-; R >m, xv, (tn) Eph, vi. I £■, ■: _ , ■ ; SCor.L ... 



62 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



NOTE XI. 

Humility is, at orce, the ground-work and perfection of Chris- 
tianity. Where this holy temper increases in the soul, there every 
grace is proportionally carried towards a state of maturity 5 but 
wherever this is wanting, there, sooner or later, every appearance of 
grace must wither and die : God resisieth the proud, but g'vtk grace 
unto the humble* Examples of deep humility are uncommon even in 
the chi'urch of Christ: but, among the rarest examples of this kind, 
our author must be allowed a distinguished place. From his natural 
disposition, peihnps no man had ever greater opposition to struggle 
against in his progress to humility : but as few professors of religion 
were ever known to resist their natural propensities with so deter- 
mined a resolution, few ever gained so complete a victory over them- 
selves as M. de la Flecheie. Lowliness of mind was considered, by 
the generality of his friend?, as the most distinguishing trait in the 
chaiacter of this great man ; and it maybe truly asserted, that no 
person ever conversed with him, either at home or abroad, without 
being struck with the genuine meekness and simplicity of his whole 
carnage. This admirable disposition, which is lovely in the lowest of 
its possessors, was peculiarly striking in him, where it appeared 
amid an uncommon variety of accomplishments, and attended with a 
train of excellent graces. 

Wherever he appeared, he was seen, according to the advice of 
St. Peter, completely clothed \n humility : and though there was some- 
thing, unhappily, singular in this truly christian garb, yet its un- 
affected comeliness was universally acknowledged and admired. 
Ivlany, who think it necessary to appear before God in a state of 
[humiliation, come forth from their closets and walk into the world 
with an air of conscious superiority : as though it was possible, at the 
same time, to walk humbly before God, and haughtily in the presence of 
their fellow-creatures. But the man, whose character I attempt to 
i describe, was perfectly consistent with himself. Such as he appeared 
before Gcd in his private acts of devotion, such he appeared before 
men in every part of social and public life. He aspired not after 
.l.igb things, but condescended to men of low estate. His family and 
connexions, his attainments in science and in gsace, with whatever 
else might be considered as tending to his advantage, he regarded as 
matters of trivial estimation ; while in the lowliness of his heart he 
adopted the language of the great Apostle: God forbid that I should 
glory, save in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by uhom the world is 
crucified unto me, audi imlo the world. In honor he preferred all men 
before himself, and never appeared so perfectly satisfied with his 
station, as when his humble employments bespoke him the servant 
of all. So unlimited was his condescension in this respect, that he 
esteemed no occupation too low or degrading, by which he might 
benefit his neighbour, or by which he might testify respect either to 
God or man. I cannot forbear relating here a little circum- 

stance, which may perhaps appear trifling to some, but which un- 
commonly affected ine at the time it happened, M. de la Flechere 

was 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 6$ 

was called out to attend the sick. In the mean-time a funeral was 
announced ; and I was happy to embrace an opportunity of affording 
the laast assistance to this venerable man, in the course of his exten- 
sive labors. While I was engaged in reading the office op that occa- 
sion v M. de la Flechere, who- had heard at a distance the call of the 
BeH>, hastily entered the church ; and as he passed up the aiste> 
observing that a young lad was officiating In the absence of the clerk, 
he instantly took bis place, and went through the whole of the ser- 
vice with a degree of humility and composure, that cannot be ex- 
pressed. He afterwards assured me, that while he beheld me kindly- 
performing the duty of an absent minister, he could not observe the 
place of an inferior servant of the church improperly filled up, without 
attempting to supply it himself with a greater degree of decorum and 
reverence. I shall close this note with another anecdote to the 

same purpose. While M. de la Flechere continued tutor to the 
young men at Tern-Hall, he usually attended the ministry of the 
Reverend Mr. Cartwright, pastor of a neighbouring church, a man of 
whose piety and zeal he made frequent and honorable mention. It 
was the custom of this gentleman frequently to catechize in public 
the children of his parish. And on one of these occasions he request- 
ed, that no person of mature r age, who stood in need of instruction, 
would esteem it a disgrace to appear in the number of the catechu- 
mens. When no one had condescension enough to occupy so mean 
a station, M. de la Flechere left his seat, and with an air of unaffected 
modesty took his place among the children ; giving a public proof, by 
the depth of his humility, that he was in an advanced state of pre- 
paration for the highest degrees of exaltation. 



TRAIT XII. 

The Ingenuous Manner, in which he acknowledged and repaired 

his Errors. 



i 



T is difficult for a proud man to confess himself in an 
error : but they, who are possessed of humility and love, 
can make such acknowledgments with cheerfulness. When 
St. Paul was called upon to justify his conduct before the 
tribunal of the jews, ihe same spirit of resentment which 
animated his persecutors suddenly seized upon the more 
passionate of his judges, when the High Priest, still more 
exasperated than the rest, commanded those who stood near 
Paul, to smite him on the mouth. It was in that moment ofi 
surprize and indignation, that the apostle, unacquainted 
with the author of so indecent a proceeding, and not im- 

G 2 agining 



64* THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

agining that the president of an august assembly could so far 
forget his own dignity, as to act with so reprehensible an 
impetuosity, gave this sharp reply to so unjust an order ; 
God shall smite thee, thou whited wall : fqr sittest thou to judge 
?ne after the Law, and contmandest me to be smitten contrary to 
the Law ? Immediately those, who stood by, reproaching 
him with his apparent disrespectful carriage, enquired with 
the utmost indignation, Pevilest thou God's High Priest ? 
Here the apostle, far from justifying his own conduct in re- 
senting the severity of a judge, who bad degraded himself 
by an act of the most flagrant injustice, immediately ac- 
knowledged his error : and lest the example he had given 
should encourage any person to withhold the respect clue to 
a magistrate, still more respectable by his office than blame- 
able by his rigorous proceedings, he endeavoured to make 
instant reparation for his involuntary offence, by citing a 
pertinent passage from the law, answering witii all meek- 
ness ; / wist not, brethren, that he was the high Priest : for it 
is written, TIwu shalt not speak evil cf the ruler of thy 
people (a). 

There is another instance of the indiscretion and candor 
of this Apostle. Paul and Barnabas going forth to publish 
the Gospel, took for their companion John Mark, the 
rephew of Barnabas. That young evangelist, however, 
staggered by the dangers, which those apostles were con- 
stantly obliged to encounter, forsook them at Pamphiiia in 
the midst of their painful labors. But afterwards, repenting 
of his former irresolution, he offered to accompany them in 
another journey. Barnabas, who had charity enough to 
hope all things of his nephew, wished to afford him a 
second trial : while Paul, whose prudence taught Lim to 
fear every thing from a young man, who had already given 
an indisputable proof of his inconstancy, refused his con- 
sent. At length the two Apostles, unable to decide the 
matter to their mutual satisfaction, took the resolution of 
separating one from another. Paui went to preach the 
Co pel in Syria, with Silas ; while Barnabas, accompanied 
by his nephew;, proceeded to proclaim Christ in the isle of 
Cyprus. Thus the separations of true christians, without 

producing 

(a) Acts xxiii. 2, 5. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAU/;, 6& 

producing any schism in the church, frequently tend to the 
propagation of the Gospel. 

Time alone could determine, whether Barnabas was 
deceived by an abundance of charity, or St. Paul through 
an excess of prudence. The event turned the balance in 
favor of the judgment of Barnabas : the conduct of John 
Mark on this second mission was irreproachable. From 

that time St. Paul, with his usual candor, forgetting the for- 
mer instability of Mark, placed the utmost confidence in 
him, received him with joy as the companion of his labors, 
revoked the order he had formerly given respecting him, 
and recommended him to the churches as a faithful minister. 
Thire much may be inferred from the following passage in 
his epistle to the Colossians : Aristarclais my felhiv -prisoner 
saluteth you, and Marcus, sister's son to Barnabas, touching 
vjliom ye received commandments r; if he come unto you, receive 
him (b). 

Thus the sincere followers of Christ are ever anxious to 
repair their in voluntary faults; faults which ive, as well as 
the apostles, are always exposed to the commission of, and 
which should constrain us to say, with St. Paul; Now zue 
know things and persons in pari. This imperfection in ouc 
knowledge will sometimes produce errors in our judgment, 
and those errors may probably influence our conduct. But, 
H in these failings there is 110 mixture of malice ; if we sin 
through ignorance, and in the integrity of our hearts, God 
imputes not to us those errors; provided that we are always 
prepared, like St. Paul, to confess and repair them. To err 
is the lot of humanity : obstinacy in error is the character of 
a Demon : but humbly to acknowledge and anxiously to 
repair an error, is to exhibit a virtue more rare and valuable 
than innocence itself, when accompanied with any degree 
of conceit and pride. 

They, who give the portraits of legendary, saints, 
generally paint them without a single failing. But they, ■ 
who wish faithfully to imitate the sacred authors, are 
obliged to employ shades as well as lights, even in their 
most celebrated pieces. If this part of the portrait of St. 
Paul should not appear brilliant, it will serve, at least, to 

G 3 manifest 

(Vj-Coloss, iv. 10. 



66 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

manifest the reality of the original, the liberality of the 
Apostle, and the fidelity of the painter. 

NOTE XII. 

Whatever solicitude I might have to perpetuate the memory of 
those errors and failings, which have at any time appeared in the 
character of M. de la Flechere, I should be utterly at a loss from 
what quarter to collect authentic documents, relative to this part of 
my subject. Had he ever sat down to a sketch of his own life, an 
undertaking* to which he was repeatedly urged by a multitude of his 
iriends, it is most probable the world would then have been presented 
with a large detail of those defects and indiscretions, which were 
scarcely apparent to any eye but his own. It is not meant to be 
insinuated here, that M. de la Flechere was entirely free from 
those imperfections and infirmities, by which, in different degrees, 
the most exalted characters have been tinctured. But it may be 
safely' affirmed, that those few imperfections were so outnumbered 
end obscured by his uncommon excellencies, that they could not 
long detain the eye even of malice itself. The only defect in his 
character which ever fixed the attention even of those, who may be 
suspected to have passed by his merits without the regard they 
deserved, was a certain warmth in his temper, which has appeared 
upon a variety of occasions. But with respect to this acknowledged 
warmth, it must be allowed by all, that it was at no time discover- 
able in him, except when he was called forth to act, either as a lover, 
of truth or a reprover of sin. In these two characters, indeed, he con- 
stantly appeared with a degree of zeal, which gave offence to many; 
but which was entirely consistent with his high reputation for meekness 
and charity. He was not ashamed, however, openly to confess 
and bewail this apparent defect ; and if ever it betrayed him into 
any error, he discovered the utmost solicitude, till he could make 
some suitable reparation. I shall content myself with presenting 
the reader with two instances of his conduct in this particular. 

In one period of his life, he considered himself obliged to wield 
the controversial pen. As the dispute was supposed to be of import, 
a.'ice, so it was of long continuance, and maintained on all sides with 
a considerable degree of warmth. In the course of the controversy, 
it was objected against our author, that he managed the debate with 
an acrimonious severity, which was equally ill adapted both to the 
nature of his cause, and the character of his opponents. Though 
this charge might have been retorted upon some of his antagonists 
with tenfold force, yet he frankly admitted it on their part, and 
stood self-abased amid the loudest plaudits of his.ffiends. Before 

the dispute was completely terminated, his declining state of health 
obliged him to quit the kingdom,'., with very little )§>pe of ever visiting 
it again. But he found it impossible to do thife without giving an. 
intimation to his opponents, that he desired nothtfag so much as an 
opportunity of embracing them ' before his departure ; that, all 
doctrinal differences, apajt, he might testify his sincere regret on 

account 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 67 

account of having given them the least displeasure, and receive from 
thern some condescending assurance of reconciliation and good-wii}. 
Those of his antagonists, who had generosity sufficient to accept 
his invitation, were equally affected and refreshed by the solemn 
interview that succeeded. And some of them, who before that time/ 
had no personal acquaintance with him, expressed the highest satis- 
faction at being introduced to the company of one, whose air and 
countenance bespoke him fitted rather for the society of angels, 
than the conversation of men. 

A second instance of the manner in which he acknowledged 
and repaired his errors, is as follows. While he was one day inter- 
ring a corpse, he was suddenly interrupted in his duty by a voice of 
execration and blasphemy. Instantly, with a look of holy indig- 
nation, he turned to that part of the multitude, whence the voice 
appeared to proceed ; and singling out, as he supposed, the guilty 
person, he publicly rebuked her in terms as severe as the nature of 
the offence demauded. After the service was concluded, he re- 
ceived information, that his rebuke had been improperly directed. 
When he immediately recalled the people, who were then dispersing 
from the grave ; and pointing to the person whom he had unwittingly 
injured, he expressed the utmost concern at having confounded the 
in qpjsefttAvith the guilty, and declared, that as his error was public, 
sSMHrn? desired publicly to solicit the pardon of the offended party. 

These may serve as sufficient proofs of the candid and con- 
descending manner, in which M. de la Plecheie was accustomed to 
acknowledge and repair those unintentional errors, which neither his 
wisdom nor his piety could wholly prevent. 




TRAIT XIII. 

His Detestation of Party -spirit and Divisions. 

HILE the spirit of the world is confessedly a spirit of 
particular interest, pride, and division j the spirit of true 
religion is manifested, among its sincere professors^ as a 
spirit of concord, humility, and brotherly love. The true 
minister, animated in an especial manner by this divine 
spirit, losing sight of his own reputation and honor, is un- 
weariedly engaged in seeking the glory of God; and the 
edification of his neighbour. Perfectly satisfied with the 
lowest place, and distinguished as much by condescension 
to his brethren as by respect to his superior?, he is ever on 
his guard against that spirit of party, which, is continually 

seeking 



6S THE* PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL". 

seeking to disturb the union of the church, whether it be by 
too great a fondness for particular customs, by an obstinate 
zeal for any system of doctrines, or by too passionate an 
attachment to some eminent teacher. 

Without persecuting those, who are led by ^o danger- 
ous a spirit, the good pastor employs every effort to reunite 
them under the great Head of the church. Arguing against 
the foily of those, who are ready to separate themselves 
from the company of their brethren, he takes up the iaiv 
guage of St. Paul, and says : O foolish christians, who hath 
bewitched you, thai you shoidd not obey the truth, before zvhose 
eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among_ 
you ? Are ye so foolish ? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now 
made perfect in the flesh (a) ? Ye have, indeed,, been called unto 
liberty : only use not liberty as an occasion to the flesh, but by 
love seive one another. For all the Law is fulfilled in one word, 
even in this ; Thou shah love thy neighbour as thyself. But if 
ye bite and devour one another^ take heed that ye be not conswned : 
one of another. Now the works of the fiesh are manifest, 
among which are these, hatred, variance, emulations, ivrath, . 
strife, seditions and heresies: of the which I tell you before, as 
I have also told you in tune past, that they, which do such- 
things, shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of 
the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, . gentleness, faith, 
meekness, temperance. If we live in the Spirit, , let us ivalk in 
the Spirit. Letus not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one 
another, envying one another (b)... There is one body, and one 
Spirit, even as ye are called in one hope of your calling ; one 
Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is 
above, all, and through all, and in you all. Endeavour, there- 
fore, to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (c). 

When the people seek to honor a true minister, by placing 
him at the head of any party in the church, he refuses the prof- 
fered dignity with a humble and holy indignation. His soul 
is constantly penetrated with those sentiments, under the 
influence of which the apostle Paul thus nobly expressed 
himself: / seek not mine own profit, hut the profit qf many, that 
they may be saved (d). I beseech you, brethren, ly the name of 
our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that 

there 

(a) Gal. iii; 1—3. (b) Gal. v. 13— .<2(V (c) Bph. iv. 3—6. 
(d) 1 Cor. x. 33. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 09 

..: ft - y joined 

together in the same mind. For kat \ ed unto me, 

that there a r .- arid y one of you 

saitk, I am of I :os, and, I of Cephas, and, 

J of Christ. But, Is Christ divided § :. for 

you? or were ye baptized in aul(e)? Who is 

l 3 Intl a m jjfic i dievedf Therefort & no man 

y in men, whether Paul, or Jp olios, or Cepr. but ra- 

ther in our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the wholt funily in 
Heaven and earth is 

By ^aci; exhcrtaii. n = it is £r -d hv maintaining, at the 
same time, a conduct conformable to the nature of such ex- 
hortations, that evc-rv faithful minister endeavours to engage 
christians, of all denominations, to walk together in love, as 
also walked (h), proving what is acceptable unto the 
Lord (i), and subm :'.-;; ig oms to another in the fear of God (k), 
arrival of that promised period, when the whole 
e faithful shall be of one heart and one mind. 

But after all these exertions for the extirpation of a sec- 
it from t trchj they, who content themselves 

with r of Christianity, as the phansees were con- 

tented with the cere of the mosaic worship, will, 

sooner 01 later, accuse every evangelical pastor of attempt- 
ing to form a particular sect. When modern pharisees 
observe t! :- strict anion, which reigns among true believers ; 
a union, which every faithful minister labors to establish 
an. . _: his as well by example as by precept ; when 

they behold penitent sinners deeply sensible of their guilt, 
and nbltng toget the purpose of im« 

ploring the blessings of wisdom, righteousness, sanct feat ion, 
and redemption; they immediately take the alarm, and cry 
out — These men do exceedingly trouble our city, teaching cits- 
toms, wfiich are not lawful for us to receive, and maintaining 
such a conduct as is most inconvenient for us to follow (I)* 

Happy are those cities, in which the minister of Christ 
is able to discover a Nicodemus, a Gamaliel, or some v 
shippers possessed of as much candor as the jews of Rome, 
who desired to hear what die persecuted Paul had to c 
in behalf of that newly-risen sect, which was everywhere 

sp: 

-r i. 10,15. (f) 1 Cor. iii. 5, 21, 22. fg) Epb. iii. 
(b)Eph.v. 2. CO*- 1 **. (k)v. 11. P) Acts 3 



?0 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

spoken against (m). Till this amiable candor shall univer- 
sally prevail among the nominal members of the church, 
true Christianity, even in the centre of Christendom, will 
always find pervecse contradiction, and sometimes cruel 
persecution. 

NOTE XIII. 

Fully persuaded that a house d'roided against itself eamiol stand, 
M. de la Flecbere was anxious to maintain a state of uninterrupted 
pence and unanimity in the household of God. As a fellow-eitizen 
with the saints, he considered himself essentially interested in the 
weal or woe of his brethren, and was constantly observed, either 
mingling his tears with those who wept, or triumphing in the joy of 
such as rejoiced before God. Hence, he could not behold, as an 
unconcerned spectator, the distress to which the church was exposed 
in his day, and the dissensions, by which it was torn ill pieces j but 
rather as a true disciple of that gracious Redeemer, who loved the 
church and gave himself for it. He was engaged, indeed, in those great 
debates, which disturbed the tranquillity of the religious world for so 
3ong a season ; and, during those sharp contests, he appeared, it is 
true, in the very front of the battle. To all who knew him, however, 
it was sufficiently evident, that he entered not into the conflict with, 
any design, either to signalize himself, or to establish the reputation 
of a party j but rather to confirm and build up the church in her 
most holy faith. Zeal for God. constrained him, upon this occasion, 
to take up across, which he regarded as almost insupportable 5 and 
when he came forth from the retirement he loved, in the character 
of a public disputant, he came forth with the language of the evan- 
gelical prophet in his mouth : For Zion's sake mil I not hold my peace, 
and for Jerusalem's sake will I not rest, until the righteousness thereof go 
forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. His 
attacks were constantly directed, not against the leaders of any 
particular sect, but against the errors of every sect: and in carrying 
on these attacks, be manifested a degree of impartiality and candor, 
which few have ever discovered in similar circumstances. While he 
cautiously exposed the apparent mistakes of his opponents ; he put 
his own religious opinions to a fiery trial ; and whatever was unable 
to htand the severest test, he considered as no better than vanity and, 
dross. Like the apostle Paul, he could do nclhing knowingly against 
the truth, but for the truth : and on whatever side this was discover- 
able, he saluted it with all that respect and veneration, which 
effectually distinguished him as a lover of truth. 

Through the whole of the contest he treated his opponents with 
much deference and regard, cordially acknowledging them as 
brethren in Clnist, and constantly mentioning them as persons, 
whose piety and zeal could scarcely be paralleled. He ardently 
desired to embrace them, as his companions in the kingdom and patience 
of Umiv common Master j and as a standing proof of his pacific dis- 
position, 
(111) Acts xxvii, 9/2. 



THE PORTFrAIT OT ST. PAUL. 71 

position toward them, one of the last pieces be published in the 
controversy was entitled, The ReamaJuaUon : a work, in which he 
urged the strongest motives to charity and concord ; endeavouring, 
by every possible means, to prevail with the professing part of the 
world, to kt&p the ivvt i of the spirit in the bond of peace. The following 
passage, selected from that work, will sufficiently evince his utter 
detestation of party-spirit and divisions in the christian church. 
(f Come with me, ray calviniau and arminian bretnren, to the 
*' temple of Peace, where the Lord's banner over you zviil be love, and 
<f his mercy will comfort you on ttsty side. If there be, therefore, any 
fi consolation in Christ, if any omfo'd of bve, if any fellowship of the 
" Spirit, if any boicels and mercies ; fulfil ye ihejoy of ail, who zvish Sion's 
'•' prosperity : Be Like minded, having the same love, being of one accord, 
*'' of one mind, submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God. 
te He is my record,, hozv greatly I Ions after you alt in the bozvels of Jesus 

* Christ, t* ichon there is neither Greek nor Jezv, bond nor free, neither 
" calvinist nor arminian, but Christ is all in all. My heart is enlarged : 
li for a recompense in the same, be ye also enlarged, and g;*ant me my 
" humble — perhaps my dying request: rejeet not my plea for 

* peace. If it be not strong, it is earnest; for (considering my 
n bodily weakness) I write at the hazard of my life ; animamque 
<l in vulnere pono." 

Such was the catholic spirit discovered by this great man, in the 
warmest of his religious contentions ; such was the forbearance and 
affection, which he constantly exercised toward the most zealous of 
his opposers ; and such was his anxious concern, that every inferior 
name might be lost in that exalted name, by which alone the world 
can be saved. 



TRAIT XVI. 

His Rejection of Praise. 

JL HE minister of the present day labors chiefly with a 
view to his own advantage and honor. He endeavours to 
please, that he may be admired of men. He laves the chief 
stais in synagogues, public greetings, and honorable titles 
(a) : thus tacitly challenging, by his unreasonable preten- 
sions to the respect and homage ot men, a part of that glory, 
which is due to God alone. 

A totally different character is maintained by the true 
minister. His discourses, his actions, his look, his deport- 
ment, all agree to say, Not unto us, O Lord, not wito us, but 

unto 
(a) Matt, xxiii. 6, 7. 



72 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy, and for thy truth's sake 
(b). If the arm of the Omnipotent enables him to perform 
any extraordinary work, which the multitude do not imme- 
diately refer to the Author of every good and perfect gift, he 
cries out with St. Peter ; Why look ye so earnestly on us s as 
though by our own power or holiness we had performed, what 
appears to excite your astonishment ? The God of our fathers 
hath, upon this occasion, glorified his Son Jesus ; and the faith, 
which is by him, hath effected this extraordinary work in the 
presence of you all (c). On all occasions, he can 

say, with the great Apostle; Do I seek to please men f if I 
yet pleased men, unless for their edification, / should not be 
the servant of Christ (d) . With me it is a very small thing , that 
I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment (e). But as 
ue were allowed of God to he put in trust with the Gospel, even 
so we speak, not as pleasing men, but God, ivhotrieth our hearts* 
Neither at any time used we flattering words, as ye knoiv : nor 
of men sought we glory, neither of you, nor yet of others (f). 
By such a conduct he distinguishes himself as a faithful 
ambassador of the blessed Jesus, who expressed himself in 
the following lowly terms to those, who had reproached him 
with a spirit, of self-exaltation : 1 do nothing of myself ; but as 
my father hath taught ?ne 9 I speak these things, J seek not mine 
own glory: there is one, that seekelh andjudgeth. Jf I honor 
myself, my honor is nothing. It is my Father, that honoreth 
me ; of whom ye say, that he is your God (g). 

There may be peculiar cases, in which a ministring serv- 
ant of God may be allowed to call upon christians for a 
public testimony of their approbation ; and when this is re- 
fused, he is justified in modestly calling their attention to 
every past proof of his integrity and zeal. Thus St. Paul, 
as a proper means of maintaining his authority among the 
Corinthians, who had manifested an unjust partiality to- 
wards teachers of a very inferior order, entered into a long 
detail of those revelations and labors, which gave him a 
more, than ordinary claim to the respect of every church. 
But whenever he commended himself, he did it with the ut- 
most reluctance, as one constrained, by the peculiarity of 
his circumstances, to act in immediate contrariety to his 

real 

(b) Psalm cxv. 1. (c) Acts iii. 12, 13, 16. (<]) Gal. i. 10. 
(e) i Cor. iv, 3. (f) 1 Thess. ii. 4, 6. (g) John viii. 23, 50, 54. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL'. 73- 

real disposition. Hence, whenever he recounts the particu- 
lar favors, with which God had honored him, he speaks in 
the third person, as of another man: Of such a one will I 
glory ; yet of myself I will not glory, but in mine infirmities (g). 
For we dare not make ourselves of tlie number of those, who 
commend themselves, measuring themselves by zhemsdves, with- 
out any reference to the excellent graces and endowments 
of others. But he that ghrieth, let him glory in the Lord. For 
not he that connnendeth himself is approved, but whom the Lord 
commendeth (n). 

Nothing affords greater satisfaction to false apostles than 
commendation and praise ; while the true minister shrinks 
with horror from those very honors, which they assume all 
the forms of Proteus to obtain. When the multitude, led 
by their admiration of a faithful preacher, follow him With 
unsuitable expressions of applause, he meets them with un- 
feigned indignation, arrests their impious plaudits., and re- 
jects their idolatrous adulations, crying out with St. Paul — 
Sirs 1 why do ye these things f v:e are also men of like passions 
with you, and preach unto you, that ye should turn from these 
vanities unto the living God (i). We are neither the way, the 
truth, nor the life: but we point you to that way, which the 
truth has discovered, and through which eternal iife may be 
obtained, entreating you to walk therein with ail simplicity 
and meekness. And remember, that, instead of affecting in 
our discourses that vain wisdom, which the world so pas- 
sionately admires, we faithfully proclaim Christ: and, to 
humble us the more beftfre God and man, we preach Christ 
crucified (k). 

By this humble carriage the ministring disciples of Christ 
are principally known. By this they copy the amiable 
example of John the baptist, who cheerfully humbled him- 
self, that Christ might be exalted, crying out in the language 
of that self renouncing teacher — Behold the Lamb of God, 
which taketh away the sin of the world ! There standeth one 
among you, whom ye know not, whose shoes latchet we are not 
worthy to unloose. We baptise with water : but he baptizetk 
with the Holy Ghost. Beware then of entertaining too high 

H an 

(g) 2 Cor. xii. 5. (h) 2 Cor. x. 12, 18. (i) Aetg xiv. 13, 15. 
(Jv) 1 C«.i. 23.. 



74f THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

an idea of our ministry ; and remember, that He mist in- 
crease in your estimation, but we must decrease (1). 

After beholding John the baptist, who was accounted 
greater than any of the prophets, abasing himself in the pre- 
sence of Christ; and after hearing St. Paul, who was fair 
superior to the Baptist, exclaiming in the humility of his 
soul, I live not ; but Christ liveih in ?ne — how can we suffi- 
ciently express our astonishment at the conduct of those 
titular apostles, who either set up a vain philosophy in the 
place of Christ, or employ the cross of their Lord as a kind 
of pedestal, for the support of those splendid monuments, by 
which their pride is endeavouring to perpetuate the memory 
of their eloquence. Self-conceited orators ! When 

shall we rank you with the faithful ministers of the humble 
Jesus ? When shall we behold the character you have assum- 
ed, and the conduct you maintain, sweetly harmonizing 
with each other ? When shall we hear you addressing your 
flocks with the unaffected simplicity and condescension of 
the great apostle : We preach not ourselves ; but Christ Jesus 
the Lord; and, far from elevating ourselves above you, on 
account of the commission we have received, ourselves your 
-servants for Jesus sake (m). Then we might with propriety 
salute you, as humble imitators of St. Paul, as zealous minis- 
ters of the Gospel, and as faithful servants of that conde- 
scending Saviour, who came not to be ministered unto, but to 
minister (n). 

NOTE XIV. 

Among alt the candidates for human praise, there is none more 
conspicuous than the man, who exhibits his pretensions -to applause 
from the pulpit. Dishonorable as it is to the cause of Christianity, the 
place, from which humility and self-denial were formerly recom- 
mended to the world, is frequently employed, by modern divines, as a 
stage for the ostentatious display of their superior parts and accom- 
plishments. Preferring the praise of men before the honor that 
cometh from God, multitudes of pastors are more solicitous to be 
ranked with profound theologists, elegant scholars, and masters of 
elocution, than to be numbered among the zealous and unaffected 
preachers of the everlasting Gospel. They court the applause of the 
world, by seeking after such qualifications as will naturally recom- 
mend them to its favor ^ while they secure themselves from its re- 
proaches, by carefully avoiding whatever might tend to degrade them 
in its estimation. In short, they are abundantly wore solicitous for 

the 

(!) John i. 26, 33,- iii. 30. (m) 2 Cor. iv. 5. (n) Matt, xx. 28. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 75 

the advancement of their own reputation, than for the honor of their 
Master, or the increase of his Kingdom. 

Between pastors of this description and M. de la Flechere, the 
most distant resemblance was not to be discovered. The favor of 
God was his ultimate aim through life ; and, for the possession of so 
invaluable a privilege, he was content to forego the riches, the friend- 
ship, and even the good opinion, of the world. Despising the com- 
mon pursuits of men, he aspired after that true greatness, which 
never yet excited the envy of the mighty, norths emulation of the 
ambitious. Whatsoever things ere pure, whatsoever thi?igs are lovely x 
whatsoever things are of good report, in such things he was daily and 
diligently occupied ; not that the report of his virtues might raise 
his reputation among men, but rather, that he might become an 
example to believers, in zvord, in conversation , in charity, in faith, in 
spirit, in purity. Though few men have ever had so just a 

claim as himself to. universal approbation, yet no man ever appeared 
so perfectly deaf to the Syren voice of admiration and praise. He 
permitted nothing to be related in his presence, that apparently- 
tended to his advantage. He could hear his actions censured, his 
opinions condemned, and his character traduced, with an astonishing- 
degree of silent composure. But if at any time his virtues or abilities 
were mentioned with the least appearance of respect, he would in- 
stantly put a stop to the conversation with an air of severity, which he 
seldom assumed upon any other occasion. On matters of this nature, 
he resolutely refused to hear the voice of the charmer, with whatever 
discretion and delicacy the subject might be attempted. He count-, 
ed himself no better than an unprofitable servant ; and, as such, .it- 
was an invariable rule with him, in every compan} r , to take the 
lowest seat, which be occupied not as a man, who was conscious that 
his merits entitled him to a more honorable place, but rather as one, 
who considered himself unworthy the favor of God or the notice of 
man. 

As an ambassador of Jesus Christ, he sought not his own honor,, 
but the honor of him that sent him. Neither exalted by the grace 
he had received, nor elated with his success in the ministry, he still 
opened his commission in every place, in the lowly manner of the 
great apostle : XJrdo me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this] 
grace given, that I should preach the unsearchable riches of Christ. He 
counted nothing, either upon his attainments, or his talents. Instead 
of endeavouring to make a pompous display of his excellencies, he 
studiously concealed them from the notice of the world : and whether 
he was engaged in planting with Paul, or in watering with Apollos, 
he sought to turn every eye from the person of the laborer, to the 
presence of that God, who alone can give the increase. Far from 
courting the applause of a world, in which his Lord had been publicly 
despised and rejected, he was sincerely disposed to drink of the cup, 
and to be baptized with the baptism, of his Master. Iustead of toiling 
for the triumphs of vain glory, he inured himself to bear the re- 
proach of the cross ; and instead of soliciting the smiles of the world, 
he prepared, himself, to endure the contradiction, of sin-iers. Fully per- 

Hi 2 suaded. 



76 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

suaded, that it is enough for the disciple that he be as his Master, he sought 
*ifter au entire conformity to the mind and character of bis Lord. 
Though formed to preside, he voluntarily took upon himself the form 
of a servant, and submitted to the lowest offices of condescension and 
charity.. Though capable, as a preacher, of fixing the attention and 
raising the admiration of the multitude, he absolutely renounced alt 
pretensions to regard, and modestly made himself of no reputation. 
As a proof, that he was not ambitious either of the uppermost seals 
in synagogues, or of honorable salutations in places of public resort, 
he labored for the church in a state of comparative retirement and 
obscurity: manifestly evidencing to all around him, that he came 
Tiot to be minlsi a red ?mto, but to minister. In this unenvied situation of 
ills choice, he spent the laborious days of a useful life, as unknown, yel 
trell-knozm ; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing ; as poor, yci making many 
rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things. Thus, by a 

patient continuance in well doing, he sought for glory, honor, and immot- 
iftlity, unnoticed by the ambitious and the vain, but eminently con- 
spicuous among those, whose praise is not of men, bat of God, 



T, 



TRAIT XV. 

His universal Love. 



RUE christians are distinguished from Jews/ Mahomet- 
ans, and all other worshippers, by that spirit of universal 
love, which is the chief ornament and glory of their profes- 
sion. But among evangelical pastors this holy disposition 
appears in a more eminent degree. They feel for the in- 
considerate and the sinful thartender compassion, of which 
Christ has left us an example. Their conduct answers 

to that beautiful description of charity, with which St. Paul 
presented the Corinthian church, and which may be con- 
sidered as an emblematical representation of his own cha- 
racter, from the time of his conversion to the christian 
faith. Universal love is that invigorating sap, 

which, passing from the true vine into its several branches, 
renders them fruitful in every good work. But this divine 
principle circulates through chosen ministers with peculiar 
force, and in more than ordinary abundance, as so many 
principal boughs, by which a communication is opened be- 
tween the root and the lesser branches. 

The faithful pastor entertains an affecting remembrance 
of those benevolent expressions, which the good Shepherd 
addressed to the apostle Peter, and in the person of that 

apostle 



THE PORTRAIT OT ST. PAUL. 77 

apostle to all his successors in the ministry, repeating them 
even to the third time : Lovest thou me ? Feed my sheep. As 
'though .he had said, The greatest proof you can possibly gi^ T e 
of your unfeigned attachment to me, is, to cherish the souls 
which I have redeemed, and to make them the objects of 
your tenderest regard. Such is the affectionate 

precept, which every faithful minister has received together 
with his sacred commission, and to which he yields a more 
recidy and cheerful obedience, from a firm dependance upon 
ine following solemn declaration of his gracious Master — 
When the Son of man shall come in his glory, lie shall say tu all 
the children of love, Verily I say unto you, inasmuch as ye. 
have done good unto one of the least of these my brethren, whe- 
ther their wants were corporeal or spiritual, ye have done it : 
wito me (a). 

The love of the evangelical pastor, like that of St. Paul, 
is unbounded. God, saith that charitable apostle, will have 
all men to he saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth : 
I exhort, therefore, that supplications, prayers, intercessions, 
and giving ofthanks r be made for all men : for this is good and 
acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour (b). But not con- 
tent with submitting to the exhortation of SL Paul^ with 
respect to the duty of universal prayer, he endeavours to 
copy the example of that apostle, in laboring for the salva- 
tion of all men : / am made all things to all men, that I might 
by all means save somc(c). Being by regeneration a par- 
taker €>f the divine nature (d), he bears a lovely, though im- 
perfect, resemblance to his Heavenly Parent, whose chief 
perfection is Love, Like the High Priest of his profession, 
he breathes nothing but charity ; and, like the Father of 
lights, he makes the sun of his beneficence to rise upon all 
men. To describe this lesser sun in its unlimited 

course, and to point out the admirable variety, with which- 
it distributes its light and its heat, is to delineate with pre- 
eision the character of a faithful pastor, 

NOTE XV. 

H? thut dzvelleih in Jove dzzelleth in Gad, and God in him. This 
distinguishing mark of an indwelling Deity was strikingly apparent 
in the person 'and character of M. de la Flechere. His person pre- 

H 3 sented 

(a) Matt, xxr, 31, 40. (b) 1 Tim. ii. 4. (r) 1 Cor. is, 3&- 
(d) 2 Peter i. 4.. 



7 8 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

scared the fairest indications, and his character afforded the strongest 
testimonies, of benevolence and chanty. His love was free and un- 
confined, uninterrupted by prejudice, and unmixed with suspicion. 
He had a place in his large and generous heart for persons of every 
description. He considered himself as related to the inhabitants o£ 
every nation, and connected with the members of every church- $ 
appearing, in every sense, as a citizen of the world ; honoring, the 
whole human race as the offspring of God, and encircling them all 
with the aims of brotherly affection, however distinguished from one 
another by situation or endowments, opinions or habits. He never 
left his beloved retirement, which was rendered sacred by converse 
with the highest object of his affections, unless he was called abroad 
upon errands of kindness and meicy. And whenever he came forth 
into the world, he looked upon all around him with an air of benig- 
nity, and a glow of affection, which strongly marked him as a 
follower of that God, who is loving unfa every man, and whose mercy is 
ever all his works. Instead of enquiring with the lawyer in the Gospel, 
'Who is my neighbour? he acted like the good Samaritan, treating 
even the stranger and the outcast, as he journeyed through life, 
with the kindness of a neighbour, the sympathy of a friend, and the 
tenderness of a brother. While self-love may be likened to a 
stagnant lake, the charity of this self renouncing pastor may be fitly 
compared to a copious river, which, after enriching a multitude of 
towns, villages, and hamlets, and after fertilizing a thousand fields, 
loses itself in the bosom of the ocean, from whence it sprang. And 
here it may be properly observed, that this noble current was suffi- 
ciently deep to sustain any burden, and sufficiently rapid to force 
itself a passage through every obstruction., 

His love was xvUhout dissimulation, not in ivord, neither in tongue, 
~hut in deed -and in truth. It was larger than his largest professions, 
and appeared, on different occasions, in a vast variety of forms, in 
condescension, in compassion, in hospitality, in forbearance, in 
kindness, an 1 in liberality. By these benevolent dispositions, to- 
gether with those affectionate labors in which he was constantly 
employed, he gave the most convincing proofs, that he was rooted 
end grounded in that universal love, which is thefuljdling oftlie whole law* 



TRAIT XVI. 

His particular Love to the Faithful, 

-IE universal love of the true minister manifests itself 1^ 
a particular manner, according to the different situations of 
tt.os* , who are the objects of it. When lie finds the whole 
con u< t (if professing christians conformable to the nature of 
their sacred profession, lie loves them with a pure heart fer^ 

ventfy 



THE PORTRAIT OP ST. FAtTL. 79 

Gently (a); and, giving way to the effusions of a holy joy, he 
expresses his affection in words like these: Brethren, we ar* 
comforted over you, in all our affliction and distress, by your 
faith : for now u<? live, if ye stand jast in the Lord. And 
what thanks can we render to God for ynt, for all the joy-, 
wherewith we joy for your sakes before God (b) ! In these 
expressions of St. Paul an astonishing degree of affection is 
discovered . Now we l?je — as though he had said, We 
have a two-fold life ; the principal life, which we receive 
immediately from Christ ; and an accessoiy life, which we 
derive from his members, through the medium of brotherly 
love. And so deeply are we interested in the concerns of 
our brethren, that we are sensibly affected by the variations 
they experience in their spiritual state, through the power 
of that christian sympathy, which we are unable to de- 
scribe. Thus, when sin has detached any of our brethren 
from Christ, and separated them from the body of the faith- 
ful, we are penetrated with the most sincere distress : and, 
on the contrary, whenever they become more affectionately 
connected with us, and more intimately uniied to Christ, 
our common Head, our spirits are then sensibly refreshed, 
and invigorated with new degrees of life and joy. 

Reader, dost thou understand this language? Hast thou 
felt the power of this christian sympathy ? Or has thy faith 
never yet produced these genuine sentiments of brotherly 
love ? Then thou hast spoken as a person equally destitute 
of sensibility and truth, whenever thou hast dared to say — 
1 believe in the communion of saints '. 

NOTE XVI. 

To love any thing, which in itself is unamiable and impure, is al* 
together contrary to the spirit and profession of Christianity. The 
pure in hearty are enabled to discover something of Gop in every man: 
and as the Deity is the supreme object of their affections, their I >ve to 
every particular person is in proportion to the different degrees, in 
which they severally shadow forth the excellencies and perfections 
of the Creator. Hence, though M. de la Flechere could look upon 
every individual of the human race with emotions of benevolence 
and charity, yet he was in an especial maone attached to surh as 
• were of tlie household of faith* In those he discovered the image of Deity 
defaced and obscured, yet meriting attention evi n in luins : in these, 
he beheld the same image ex^iessed with purity ana grate sufficient 

to 
(a) 1 Pet, i. 22, (b) 1 Thess. iii. 7, 9« 



SO THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PATTL. 

to excite in him the highest degrees of admiration and love/ His 

fellowship with persons of this latter description was intimate find un- 
reserved. He saluted them as the children of GoD,a#d honored these 
as heirs of an eternal inheritance. These were the companions of 
his choice, both in public and in private: with these he took sweet 
and solemn counsel; and with these he rejoiced to warship in the 
house of God. Whether they were poor or rich, illiterate or learned, 
bond or free, he considered them as fellow partakers of th$ same 
grace, and received them, without partiality \ as the redeemed of the 
Lord. He constantly watched over them for good, and eagerly em- 
braced every opportunity of rendering them acceptable service, tie 
bore their burdens, he distributed to their necessities, he covered 
their defects, and healed their divisions. Esteeming all-the chil- 

dren of God, as piejnbers one of another, his catholic spirit disdained 
those unnatural partitions, by which different parties of christians 
have endeavoured to separate themsehes from each other, Sincere 
worshippers, of whatever denomination they might be, he regarded 
as fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God ; desiring no 
greater honor than to be counted as their brother, and commanded as 
their servant. The following are his own expressions, extracted- 

from a tract already referred to in a preceding note, *' God forbid, 
" that J should exclude from my brotherly affection, and occasional 
V assistance, any true minister of. Christ, because he easts the Gos- 
" pel net among the Presbyterians, the Independents, the Quakers, 
*' or the Baptists ! If they will not wish me good luck in the name 
** of the Lord, I will do it to them, They may excommunicate me,. 
i( if their prejudices prompt them to it j they may build up a wall of 
*' partition between themselves and me ; but, in the strength of my 
li God, whose love is as boundless as his immensity, / will leap over 
fi the tool!," * Extraordinary as these declarations may appear, they 
are not to be considered as the professions of an affected generosity, 
but as the sincere expressions of a heart oversowing with brotherly 
love. 

Such was the christian charity of this truly admirable man, which, 
in spite of all the impediments that could be thrown in its way, was 
improved to an almost incredible degree of maturity — A never-tail- 
ing charity, which taught him to overlook the coldness and contempt 
of his unloving brethren — An exuberant charity, which enabled him 
t<> address all the differing classes of christians, in the lang.tage of his 
Master : Whosoever shall do the will of my Father, who is in Ifeave?i, th& 
smm is my brother, and sister, and mother. 



w 



TRAIT XVII. 

His Love to those, whose Faith was wavering. 



HEN a minister, after having been made instrumental 
in the conversion of sinners, perceives their faith decreasing, 
and their love growing cold, he feels for them, wnat tne 

^Redeemer 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. SI 

Redeemer fek when he wept over Jerusalem, Not less 
concerned for the remissness of his beiieving hearers, than 
St. Paul was distressed by the instability of his Galatian and 
Corinthian converts, he pleads with them in the same 
affectionate terms : Ye know, ye who are the seals of my 
ministry, how I preached the Gospel unto, you at the first. And 
ye despised me not, but received me as the Angel of God. Where 
is then the blessedness ye spake of? for I bear you record, that 
\f it had been possible ye woidd have plucked out your own eyes, 
and have given than to me. Am I therefore become your enemy, 
because ] tell you the truth ? My little children, of whom I 
travail in birth again, until Christ be formed in you, I tell you 
with sorrow, that after all my confidence in you, / stand in 
doubt of you (a). Our mouth is open unto you, our heart is 
enlarged. Ye are not straitened in us , but ye are straitened in 
your own bowels. Now for a recompense in the same, (I speak 
as unto my children) be ye also enlarged. Be ye not unequally 
yoked togethei % with unbelievers ; for what fellowshp hath righ- 
teousness with unrighteousness ? or what part hath he, that 
belicveth, with an infidel f Wherefore come out from among 
them, and be ye separate, saiih the Lord, and touch not the un- 
clean thing ; and I will receive you, and will be a Father unto 
you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord 
Almighty. We beseech you, therefore, biethren, that ye receive 
not the grace of God in vain (b). 

This language of the christian pastor is almost unintel- 
ligible to the minister, who is merely of mar/s appointing, 
Having never converted a single soul to Christ, he lias nei- 
ther spiritual son nor daughter, and is entirely unacquainted 
with that painful travail, which is mentioned by St. Paul. 
His bowels are straitened towards Christ and his members, 
and having closely united himself to the men of the world, 
he considers the assembly of the faithful as a company of ig- 
norant enthusiasts. But, notwithstanding the spiritual 
insensibility of these ill-instructed teachers, who never 
studied in the school of Christ, there is no other token, by 
which either sincere christians or true ministers can be dis- 
cerned, except that fervent love, which the Galatians enter- 
tained for St. Paul, before their falling away, and which that 
Apostle ever continued to entertain for them. By this, saith 

our 
(a> Gah iv, 13— SO, (b) 2 Cor. ?i. 



$2 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

our Lor d 3 shall all men know, that ye are my disciples ; if ye 
have love one to another (c). 

NOTE XVII. 

The weak and the wavering have in every age outnumbered the 
vigorous and unshaken professors of Christianity. M. de la Fleehere 
fee held in his day, with inexpressible concern, the increasing class 
of unsteady believers ? but, uhile he bewailed their instability, he 
allowed them an ample share in his affections. Far from despising 
the day of small things, he labored, with the most affectionate soli- 
citude, to strengthen the weak hand and confirm the feeble knee of every 
wavering professor. His anxiety for their advancement in grace was 
discovered in every possible way, and his whole deportment toward 
them was marked with unusual tenderness and regard. He followed 
them with unwearied attention, till he could discover the particular 
causes of their spiritual decay: and when these were once ascer- 
tained,- he employed the most laborious efforts for their removal. He 
carefully acquainted himself with the peculiar circumstances and 
disposition of the unstable party, skilfully adapting both his language 
and his manner to the nature of their past attainments, and their 
present deficiencies. He argued against their fears, he satisfied their 
doubts, he bewailed their lukewarmness, and reminded them of their 
privileges ; entreating or rebuking, consoling or censuring them, with 
all long~su$trmg. In the mean time, he not only avoided, in his own 
conduct, whatever might have a tendency to offend or unsettle their 
minds, but admonished the stronger brethren to maintain, towards 
their feeble companions, a carriage regulated by more than ordinary 
circumspection and kindness. 

Thus after having used every generous endeavour for the restor- 
ation of the weak, and after having removed every apparent obstacle 
from their path, in the spirit of supplication and prayer he? should watch 
far their return. And whenever he perceived in them the first indi- 
cations of a holy resolution, it cannot be told with what meltings of 
heart he would riy to embrace them ; how graciously he would con*, 
descend to their weakness, how carefully he would support their 
steps, and with how much affectionate counsel he would guide them 
in the way. On these occasions, especially, he put on bowels of 
mercies, kindness, kwnhimess of mind, meekness and forbearance, exhibiting 
through his whole conduct a lovely imitation of that great Shepherd, 
who galhe/s the lambs with his arm, and gently leads those that arc ivith 

yaww fi 



(o) John xiii, 35. 

TRAIT 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. *AVL* $3 

TRAIT XVIII. 

His Love to his Countrymen and his Enemies > 

&1\ Paul, like his rejected master, was persecuted even to 
death by the Jews, his countrymen, while he generously 
exposed himself to innumerable hardships in laboring for 
their good. These furious devotees, inspired with envy, 
revenge, and a persecuting zeal, hunted this Apostle from 
place to place, as a public pest. And when the Gentiles, 
on a certain occasion, had rescued him out of their hands, 
forty of the most hardened among them engaged them- 
selves by an oath, neither to eat nor drink, till they had 
assassinated him. But, notwithstanding the most indubit- 
able proofs of their bloody disposition towards him, his 
fervent charity threw a vail over their cruelty, and made 
him wish to die for his persecutors. / declare, saith 

he, the truth in Christ, my conscience also bearing me witness in 
the Holy Ghost, that 1 have great heaviness and continual soi*- 
row in my heart : for I could wish, that myself were accursed 
from Christ for my brethren, nty kinsmen according to the flesh 
(a). As though he should say ; It is written, cursed is every 
one, that hangeth on a tree (b) : Thus Christ himself became 
accursed for us, and I also would lay down my life for my 
brethren, that I may have fellowship with hhn in his sufferings, 
being made conformable unto his death (c), and filling up that, 
which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh, for his 
body f s sake, which is the church (d). It is by expressions so 
charitable, and by actions, which demonstrate the sincerity of 
those expressions, that christians avenge themselves of their 
enemies, and work upon the hearts of their countrymen. 

If the sentiments of every sincere disciple of Christ are 
expressed in the preceding language of St. Paul, how de- 
plorable then must be the state of those christians, whose 
anxiety, either for their own salvation, or for that of their 
nearest relations, bears no proportion to that eager concern, 
which this Apostle manifested for the salvation of his bit- 
terest persecutors J And if good pastors feel so ardent a 

desire 

(a) &om. ix. 1—3. (b) Gal. iii. 13. (c) Phil, in. 10, 

(d) Coloss. i. 24. 



B4p THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

desire to behold all men actuated by the spirit of Christ, 
without excepting even their most malicious enemies ; what 
shall we say lo those ministers, who never shed a single 
tear, nor ever breathed one ardent prayer, for the conver- 
sion of their parishioners, their friends, or their families I 

NOTE XVIIL 

On account of that civil and religious liberty, which_no other king~ 
dom upon earth can boast, England become the adopted country of M. 
de la Flechere. But, while he spent a laborious life amons the inhabit* 
ants of this favored island, his affections were far from being totally- 
alienated from the country of his nativity. He constantly took a 
brotherly part in the affairs of his countrymen, and manifested a rest- 
less solicitude for the advancement of their highest interests. Less 
concerned for their reputation as a state, than for their superiority as 
a church, his highest wishes for their welfare are aptly expressed in 
the language of St. Paul : Only let your conversation be as it becomrth the 
Gospel of Christ : that whether I tome and see you, or else be absent, I may 
hear of your affairs, that ye stand fast in one spirit, with one mind, striving 
together for the faith of the Gospel. During his abode in England, 

his attachment to his absent country-men was daily expressed in fer- 
vent prayer, and frequently in affectionate epistles addressed to those 
among them, whose situation and abilities might have rendered them 
eminently useful to the church. When present with them, his 
affectionate concern fir their happiness was evinced by the most in- 
defatigable exertions for their advancement in religion and virtue. 
Though he seldom visited the.placeof his nativity, except, to all ap- 
pearance, in dying circumstances ; yet even in those seasons, the 
entreaties of friends, the advice of physician?, together with his 
bodily infirmities, were found insufficient to restrain him from the 
exereise of his ministry. His manner of employing himself in these 
Visits, is modestly expressed in an apology, which he once thought it 
necessary to make for his conduct upon those occasions j from which 
the foll< wing passage is exti acted. " Afflicted with a dangerous 
■•• disease, and obliged to entrust the care of my church to a substi- 
?*. tute, with the permission of my superiors I came to this place, on 
94 a visit to my kinsmen, and especially for the purpose of breathing 
•' my native air, which the physicians, after having already exhaust- 
•• ed their art in my favor, considered as the last remedy that re- 
•' maiued to be tried with any hope of success. Upon my arrival, 
*' the pastors of Nyon, to the first of whom 1 have had the honor of 
•• being known for these six and thirty years, obligingly offeied me 
•* the use of their pulpits, if my health would permit me to preach. 
'* But, after appointing different days, on which I hoped to have 
h * taken the advantage of their friendly offers, by repeated returns of 
" my weakness I was prevented from fulfilling my engagements. I 
u have, however, preached three or four times • but observing in my- 
•* self, during those exercises, a want of strength to occupy the 
•« pulpit with that power and dignity, which are expected in a 

"preacher 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL; 35 

tim preacher who appears before a polished audience, I considered it 
M rather as my duty, with the permission, and under the inspection 
" of our pastors, without ascending the pulpit, to give some familiar 
u instructions to such children and others as were disposed to re- 
" ceive them ; offering in a room from time to time occasional 
w reflections, either upon "some book of piety, or some passage of 
" Holy Scripture." Such were his customary employments, 

during the several seasons of his temporary residence at Nyon. And 
to these pious exercises he devoted his little remaining strength v.itla 
that assiduity and perseverance, which abundantly manifested how 
little he regarded either ease or health when they came in competition 
with the advantage and welfare of his countrymen. But, while he? 

engaged himself with so much zeal in the service of his countrymen e.t 
large, among his kinsmen and friends i:is benevolent labors wevc stiU 
mo;e abundant. Ke expressed the most vehement desires, and em- 
ployed the most strenuous efforts, that the whole c ; rcle of his friend,'? 
might become a people fieorifig God and working rightepttsrieis. He ad- 
monished them with the authority of a minister, and entreated them 
with the gentleness of a brother, mixing both his admonitions and 
entreaties with many affectionate tears. When he perceived in any 
of them an inclination to linger, either in the darkness of deism, or Lit 
the mazes of dissipation, like the deliverers of Lot, he would stretch out 
his hand, and endeavour, with a pious violence, to rescue them from 
the dangers to which they were exposed. And on the other hand, 
when he discovered in any of his friends the lea-t discernible tokens, 
either of godly sorrow, or of holy desire, he would give a loose to the 
fervors of that holy joy which is manifested, on similar occasions, i?i 
t te p-esence of the Ang*k of God. But, perhaps, it is impossible, 

to give any just idea of the extraordinary concern he expressed for 
the establishment of his near relations in the faith of the Gospel, ex- 
cept in his own words. The following passages translated from an 
epistle, which he formerly addressed to his in-other the Assessor, wi'l 
set this amiable part of his disposition in a just point of view. After 
lamenting, that he had passed so great a part of his own life in the 
vain pursuits of the world, he continues — " And are you not cor.- 
" strained, my dear brother, to make the same lamentations with 
il me? Yes, I cannot but indulge a hope, that God will hear mv 
'* prayers, that he will have some regard to the tears with which I 
" wet this paper, and that, while you are reading thpse lines, his 
" grace will operate upon your heart. If you did but know, how 
" much joy there would be in Heaven for your conversion ; if you 
" could but conceive, what transports of gratitude would overflow* 
** your heart and mine ; if you were but sensible, how my'boweJs. 
11 are moved for you ,• surely then, without a moment's delay, ye i 
" would submit to the grace of that Saviour, who is even now speajf- 
" ing in your heart. And can you still bold out, my dear brother f 
u And are you so entire an enemy to your own happiness/ so ia- 
'■ sensible, so ha>d, as to decline making a full surrender of yourself 
*' to God ? I will hope better things, °f y->u, through the grace of our 
il common Saviour. O maj' that grace overwhelm y ./Seart, and 
*' meltdowu all your hardness ! — As we are of one Wood, Ictus 
♦ f also be of one heart and one soul. Do not reject, I conjure you, 

i li my 



S3 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

ness, be endeavoured to support and c( nsole him ; embracing, with 
thankfulness, every possible opportunity of heaping coals off re upon kis 
head. 

Tt would be unpardonable in me to close this note, without ob- 
serving, that the invincible love of this charitable pastor was honored 
with many happy triumphs over the prejudice and ma'ignity of his 
cpposers. The labors of his condescending affection weie successful 
in a vatiety of instances. He out-lived the persecuting spirit of his 
principal enemies, and saw many, who had withstood the vehemence 
*»f his zeal, entirely melted down with the fervor ot his love. The 
most liberal of his opposers became his steady adherent?, and the 
most stubborn of his adversaries were constrained to bear unwilling 
testimony to the christian superiority of his character. 



TRAIT XIX. 

His Love to those, whom he knew only by Report. 

jL HOUGH the true minister takes ^ peculiar interest in 
every thing that concerns the salvation of* his countrymen, 
yet his christian benevolence is far from being confined 
•within the narrow limits of a particular country. He 
desires to bear the name of his Savior to the ends of the 
earth ; and if he is not able to do s this by his personal 
addresses, he will do it, at least, by bis earnest wishes and 
bis constant prayers. If providence has not yet fixed him 
in a particular church, he writes, in the manner of St. Paul, 
to the inhabitants of the most distant countries — / would not 
have you ignorant, brethren, that I consider myself as a debtor 
both to the Creeks and to the Barbarians ; both to the wise and 
the unwise. And, as much as in me is, J am ready to preach 
the Gospel to you that are at Rome, where error and impiety 
have fixed their throne. For I am not ashamed of the Gospel 
of Christ : for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one 
that believeth(a). If he writes to stranger-converts, whose 
faith is publicly spoken of in the world, he declares his sin- 
cere attachment to them, and his longing desire to afford 
them every spiritual assistance, in terms like these — God is 
my witness, whom I serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his 
Sox, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my 
prayers. Making request, if by any means 1 might have a 

prosperous 
(a) Rom. i. 13—16. 



rHE" PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. $& 

. .- -. 

prosperous journey, by the ivill of God, to come unto you. For 
1 long to see you , that I may impart unto you some spiritual 
gift, to the end ye may be established: that is , that I may 
!/e comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you 
and me (b). 

If the Apostle Paul, when he knew the Romans no 
otherwise than by report, expressed so ardent a desire to 
see them, for the sole purpose of inciting them to seek after 
higher degrees of faith and piety; what must be the dispo- 
sition of those ministers, who feel no desires of this nature 
even for the members of their own flock ? And in how great 
an error are those christians, who frequently assemble to- 
gether, either in their own houses, or in more public places, 
for the very purpose of mutually forgetting the restraints of 
piety, losing their time in frivolous conversation, and de- 
basing their minds by puerile amusements ! Further : if the 
new nature of the ^generate excites in them that lively 
concern for the salv jBp i of their neighbours, which St. 
Paul expressed for the^sWVation of those, who inhabited the 
remotest parts of the eartii; is it becoming in the faithful to 
stifle the motions of that commendable zeal, wiiich christian 
charity alone can inspire ? And if there are to be found 
among us dignified teachers, who, far from seconding a 
zeal so necessary in our day, are rather disposed to extin- 
guish the first sparks of it,, wherever they are discernible;, 
whom may they be said to take for their model, Paul the 
Apostle, or Saul the Pharisee T doubtless Saul, the agent of 
a bigoted sect, and the open persecutor of the faithful. 

NOTE XIX. 

While M. de la Flechere was attached in an extraordinary man- 
ner to those, among whom he was appointed to labor, his heart was 
uncommonly enlarged toward all the children of God, by whatever 
name they were distinguished, or wherever the bounds of their habi- 
tion were fixed. Considering himself as a debtor both to the Grieks, 
antf to the Barbarians, he was ready, had it been possible, to have 
visited the uttermost parts of the earth with the truths of the Gospel: 
and wherever a christian church was established, he appeared deeply 
interested iu its welfare, expressing a vehement desire, that it might 
be regulated in all things as the hoitse of God, and become to happy 
thousands the gate of Heaven. When the members of any distant 
church were represented, as exemplary for their faiih, their zeal, or 

13 ' theft 

' {b) Rom. i. 9— 13„ 



S3 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

ness, be endeavoured to support and console him ; embracing, with 
thankfulness, every possible opportunity of heaping coals of Jive upon kis 
head. _ 

Tt would be unpardonable in me to close this note, without ob- 
serving, that the invincible love of this charitable pastor was honored 
with many happy triumphs over the prejudice and malignity of his 
opposers. The labors of his condescending affection weie successful 
in a vatiety of instances. He out-lived the persecuting spirit of his 
principal enemies, and saw many, who had withstood the vehemence 
*>f his zeal, entirely melted down with the fervor of his love. The 
most liberal of his opposers became his steady adherent?, and the 
most stubborn of his adversaries were constrained to bear unwilling 
testimony to the christian superiority of his character. 



TRAIT XIX. 

His Love to those, whom he knew only by Report, 

JL HOUGH the true minister takes ^ peculiar interest in 
every thing that concerns the salvation of' his countrymen, 
yet his christian benevolence is far from being confined 
•within the narrow limits of a particular country. He 
desires to bear the name of his Savior to the ends of the 
earth ; and if he is not able to do N this by his personal 
addresses, he will do it, at least, by his earnest wishes and 
his constant prayers. If providence has not yet fixed him 
in a particular church, he writes, in the manner of St. Paul, 
to the inhabitants of the most distant countries — / would not 
have you ignorant, brethren, that I consider myself as a debtor 
both to the Greeks and to the Barbarians ; both to the wise and 
the unwise. And, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach 
the Gospel to you that are at Rome, where error and impiety 
have fixed their throne. For 1 am not ashamed of the Gospel 
of Christ : for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one 
thai believeth(a). If he writes to stranger-converts, whose 
faith is publicly spoken of in the world, he declares his sin- 
cere attachment to them, and his longing desire to afford 
them every spiritual assistance, in terms like these — God is 
my witness, whom 1 serve with my spirit in the Gospel of his 
Sort, that without ceasing I make mention of you always in my 
prayers. Making request, if In/ any means J might have a 

prosperous 
(a) Rom. i. 13—16. 



THE" FORTH AIT- OF ST. PAUL. S§ 

prosperous journey, by the xuiil of God, to come unto you. For 
J long to see you, that I may impart unto you some spiritual 
gift, to the end ye may be established: that is, that I may 
Ik comforted together with you, by the mutual faith both of you 
and me (b). 

If the Apostle Paul, when he knew the Romans no 
otherwise than by report, expressed so ardent a desire to 
see them, for the sole purpose of inciting them to seek after 
higher degrees of faith and piety; what must be the dispo- 
sition of those ministers, who feel no desires of this nature 
even for the members of their own flock ? And in how great 
an error are those christians, . who frequently assemble to- 
gether, either in their own houses, or in more public places, 
for the very purpose of mutually forgetting the restraints of 
piety, losing their time in frivolous conversation, and de- 
basing their minds by puerile amusements ! Further : if the 
new nature of the ^generate excites in them that lively 
concern for the salvSjjh of their neighbours, which St. 
Paul expressed for the^sl&Vation of those, who inhabited the 
remotest parts of the earth; is it becoming in the faithful to 
stifle the motions of that commendable zeal, wjiieh christian 
charity alone can inspire ? And if there are to be found 
among us dignified teachers, who, far from seconding a 
zeal so necessary in our day, are rather disposed to extin- 
guish the first sparks of it,, wherever they are discernible ; 
whom may they be said to take for their model, Paul the 
Apostle, or Saul the Pharisee t doubtless Saul, the agent. of 
a bigoted sect, and the open persecutor of the faithful. 

NOTE XIX. 

While M. de la Flechere was attached in an extraordinary man- 
ner to those, among whom he was appointed to labor, his heart was 
uncommonly enlarged toward all the children of God, by whatever 
name they were distinguished, or wherever the bounds of their habi- 
tion were fixed. Considering himself as a debtor both to ike Greeks, 
and to the Barbarians, he was ready, had it been possible, to have 
visited the uttermost parts of the earth with the truths of the Gospel: 
and wherever a christian church was established, he appeared deeply 
interested in its welfare, expressing a vehement desire, that it might 
be regulated in all things as the house of God, and become to happy- 
thousands the gate of Heaven. When the members of any distant 
Chur.ch were represented, as exemplary for their faith, their zeal, or 

13 ' theZs 

• (b) Rora. j, 9—13. 



90 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

their love ; he received the report of their advancement in grace 
with demonstrations of the sincerest joy, and publickly expressed his 
gratitude to that great Master of assemblies, who hath pleasure in the 
prosperity of his servants. When the professors of Christianity, in any 
part of the world, were observed to grow weary of well-doing, either 
declining from the faith of the Gospel, or neglecting to walk worthy of 
their high vocation ; his heart was penetrated, on their account, 
with the most lively concern ; he lamented their instability in secret, 
and watered his couch mlth his tears. When the spiritual vine, in some 
remote part of the vineyard, appeared to be in danger from the fury 
of the oppressor; when her hedges were broken down and her fruit 
torn away by the hand of persecution, he entered deeply iTito the 
distresses of the suffering church ; he fasted, he wept, he prayed, 
making continual intercession before the great Lord of the vineyard, 
that he would look down from Heaven, and visit the plant, which he 
had formerly strengthened for himself; that spreading forth its 
boughs again unto the sea, and its branches unto the river, the hills 
Blight be covered with the shadow of it, and the land be filled with its 
fcuits. 

Sympathy, however, was not the only proof of his love toward 
those, whom he knew merely by report: t'hat love was frequently 
testified by his affectionate counsel, and, wheneverit was practicable, 
by his personal assistance. Passing some years ago through the 
south of France, he exp essed a longing desire to vist the protestants 
in the Seven nes mountains, whose fathers had suffered so greatly in 
the cause of godliness. To converse with the children of those, who 
had laid down their lives in defence of the truth, was a privilege not 
to be despised by a man, who never lost an opportunity of con- 
versing with a righteous person, without lamenting it as a real mis- 
fortune. Though the journey was long and difficult, }'et no argu- 
ment could prevail with him to give up his resolution of attempting it 
on .foot. " Shall I," said he to his friend, " make a visit on horse- 
4t back, and at ease, to those poor cottagers, whose fathers were 
" hunted along yonder rocks like partridges upon the mountains ? 
k< No; in order to secure a more friendly reception among them, I 
" will visit them under the plainest appearance, and with my staff in 
*' my hand." Accordingly he set out alone on this chiistian expe- 
dition ; and, after travelling till it was nearly dark, he came to a 
small house, where he requested the favor of sitting up in a chair till 
the morning. It was not without some hesitation that. the master of 
the cottage" consented to receive him; after which he immediately 
entered into discourse with his host and his wife, who were so much 
charmed with the conversation and manners of their guest, that they 
considered the richest provisions their house could afford, as too 
mean to be set before him. After a hasty repast, the conversation 
was continued on the part of M. de la Flechere, and attended to by 
the children, as well as by their parents, with a degree of eagerness, 
which discovered their desire after religious instruction. Before they 
retired to rest, prayer was proposed: and while this holy m-an was 
encased in pouring out his fervent supplication before God, the 
family around him weie tmcomvuorjly affected, melted into tears, and 
; filled 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 91 

iiiled with holy admiration. Early on the morrow, while he repeated 
his exhortations and renewed his prayers, he was listened to with the 
same veneration and earnestness : when, taking an affectionate leave 
of the family, he left the whole household in a state of astonishment 
and concern. This little relation was taken from the poor man 
himself, who immediately gave it out among his neighbours, that he 
had nearly recused to admit a stranger into his house, who proved to be 
rather an angel than a man. This family was of the Romish church. 

Continuing his journey M. de la Flechere reached a little town, 
where he was entertained by a pious minister, to whom he had been 
recommended. IJere he was received by the serious protestants 
with open arms, among whom he exercised his ministry with much 
freedom and success. He conversed with their elders, he admonish- 
ed their youth, he visited their sick, diligently exhorting and instruct- 
ing them from house to house; while many among them were 
comforted, and many built up in their most holy faith. In the course 
of his progress through these mountains, he put up at a little house, 
where his landlord was one of those persons, who seldom utter a 
word unaccompanied by an oath. Our benevolent traveller address- 
ed this unthinking creature in his usual pointed and pathetic manner ; 
and not without effect. His heart was deeply penetrated with the 
deserved rebuke, he confessed his error, and expressed a serious 
concern for the irregularity and prof'aneness of his past conduct. 
M. de la Flechere had many opportunities in this family for tl«s 
pious exercises of admonition and prayer;, and from the time of hisr 
sojourning among them, an uncommon reformation was apparent in 
the conversation and manrers of his host. It has since appeared, 
that the solemn exhortations he received, during this season, were 
attended with so extraordinary an effect upon this poor man, that, if 
on any future occasion be discovered an unholy warmth in his tem- 
per, nothing more was necessary to produce an immediate calm in 
his mind, than the bare recollection of that venerable stranger, who 
had once lodged beneath his roof. 

This tedious journey (of which a much more circumstantial ac- 
count might be given), while it evinced the love of this indefatigable 
pastor to those, whom he knew only by report, was productive of the 
happiest consequences to those, who attended his ministry upon this 
occasion; and, especially, to those, who entertained hini in their 
families. 



TRAIT XX. 



| 



His Charity toxmrds the Poor in giving, or procuring for th&x 

temporal Belief. 

JL HOUGH our Lord came principally to save the souls 
of sinners, vet he was by no means unmindful of their 

bodiesy 



92 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

bodies. He went about doing good, in the most unlimited 
sense ; daily relieving, with equal care, the corporeal and 
spiritual maladies of the people. Thus, when he had dis- 
tributed the word of God to those who were hungering and 
thirsting after righteousness, he expressed an anxious con- 
cern for the support of those among his followers., who were 
sensible only of temporal wants: I have compassion on the 
multitude, because they have now been with me three days, and 
have nothing to eat — and not content with barely expressing 
his concern for their corporeal necessities, he wrought an 
astonishing miracle for their immediate relief (a). The 

true minister cheerfully imitates the conduct of his gracious 
Master, by a strict and affectionate attention to the spiritual,, 
and temporal wants, of his people. James, Cephas, and 
John, saith Paul, gave to me and Barnabas the right hand of 
fellowship, that ive should go unto the heathen: only they would,, 
that we should remember the poor ; the same which I also was- 
forward to do (b). 

When the liberality of St. Paul toward his necessitous- 
brethren was restrained by his own excessive indigence, he 
employed the most effectual means to procure for them the 
generous benefactions of their wealthier companions in^the 
faith of the Gospeh The following passages, extracted 
from his epistles, may serve as sufficient proofs of this. 
Brethren, I cannot but inform you of the grace of God , b&4 
stowed on the churches of Macedonia ; hoiv thai in a great trial 
of affliction, the abundance of their joy and their deep poverty 
abounded unto the riches of their liberality. For to their power, 
J bear record, yea, and beyond their power, they were willing of 
themselves ; praying us,, with much entreaty] that we' wczdd re- 
ceive the gift, and take upon us the fellowship of- the ministering 
to the saints — Therefore, as ye abound infaith^ in utterance, in 
knowledge, in all diligence, and in your love to us ; see that ye 
abound in this grace also, J speak by occasion of the forward- ■ 
ness of others, and to prove the sincerity of your love, For ye 
know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was 
rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his 
poverty might be rich. Wherefore shew ye, before the churches, . 
the proof of our love, and of our boasting on your behalf (c). 

Not 
(a) Mark vlii. 2„ (b) Gal. ii. 9, 10. (c) 2 Con viih 1—24, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUJL. 93 

Not yet content with these earnest solicitations in be- 
half of the poor, the Apostle thus proceeds to enforce his 
importunities. / thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, 
that they should go before unto you y and make up before-hand 
your bounty, that the same might be ready , as a matter of 
bounty, and not as of covetousne<s. But this I say, he, that 
soweth sparingly, shall reap also sparingly; and he, that soweth 
bountifully, shall reap also bount/fully. God loveth a cheerful 
gii\j\ And God is able to make all grace abound toiiard 
you ; that ye always having all sufficiency in all things, 
may abound to every good work : as it is written, he hath 
dispersed abroad ; he hath given to the poor ; his righteous- 
ness remaineth for ever. Now he that minister eth seed to 
the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your 
seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness ; that ye 
may be enriched in every thing to all bount (fulness, which 
causes through us thanksgiving to God. For the administration 
of this service not only suppheth the want of the saints^ but is 
abundant also by many thanksgivings unto God: while by the 
experiment of this ministration they glorify God for your pro- 
fessed subjection unto the Gospel of Christ, and for your liberal 
distribution unto them, and unto all men (d). Who could 

possibly refuse any thing to a godly minister pleading the 
cause of the poor, with all this apostolic dignity, simplicity, 
and zeal ? 

After having obtained alms for the poor, the Apostle 
Paul cautiously avoided all suspicion of appropriating any 
part of them to the relief of his own necessities ; and was 
equally careful, that they were never misemployed through 
the unfaithfulness of those, w r ho were appointed to distribute 
them. One of our brethren, adds the Apostle, chosen of the 
clturches, accompanies us in our journey with this grace, 
which is administered by us to the glory of the same Lord, and 
declaration of your ready mind : avoiding this, that no man 
should blame us in this abundance, which is administered by us ; 
providing for lionest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but 
also in the sight of men (e). Mentioning again his favorite 
employment, he writes to a distant church — Now I go unto 
Jerusalem to viinister unto the saints. For it hath pleased them 
ef Macedonia and Achaia to make a certain contribution for the 

poor 
(d) 2 Car. ix. 5—13. (e)2 Cor. via. 19—21. 



£4? THE PORTRAIT OF ST* PAUL, 

poor saints, which are at Jerusalem. When therefore I have 
performed this, and have sealed to them this fruit, I ivill come 
by you into Spain. Now I beseech you, brethren, that ye strive 
together in your prayers for me, that I may be delivered from 
them, that do not believe in Judea ; and that the service, which 
I have for Jerusalejn, may he accepted of the saints (f ). 

Thus to wait upon the churches, and particularly thus to 
attend upon the poor, is to merit the name of a faithful 
minister. 

NOTE XX. 

As the parish of Madeley was uncommonly populous, so it 
abounded with persons, who, either through infirmity or misfortune, 
were reduced to a state of indigence and distress. Over this de- 
spised and destitute part of his flock M. de la Flechere was accus- 
tomed to watch with unusual attention and concern. He regarded 
them as his peculiar charge, and exerted himself to the utmost for 
their encouragement and support. Not content with freely offering 
them the consolations of the Gospel, he contrihuted largely to the 
relief of their temporal necessities, and generally divided among them- 
the greater part of his income. He sought them out with the most 
industrious care, and expressed a great degree of thankfulness to any 
person, who would direct him to the abodes of wretchedness and 
poverty. To such abodes, indeed, he was seldom a stranger; nor 
could any consideration prevail with him to pass them by, without 
attempting to dry up the tears, and supply the wants of their 
afflicted inhabitants. His daily walks were among the fatherless 
and the widovs, the friendless and the oppressed: and while he 
counted it his indispensible duly to labor for their relief, he consider- 
ed that very labor, as one of the sublimest pleasures, he was capable 
of enjoying. The profusion of his charity toward the poor and needy, 
is scarcely credible : it constantly exhausted his purse, it frequently 
unfurnished his house, and sometimes left him destitute of the most 
common necessaries. He was accustomed to make an exchange of 
state with his indigent brethren, freely bartering his ease for their 
woe, and his plenty for their penury.. That he might feed the 
hungry, he led a life of abstinence and self-denial; that he might 
cover the naked, he clothed himself in the most homely attire ; and 
that he might cherish such as were perishing in a state of extreme 
distress, he submitted to hardships of a very trying nature. But it is 
impossible to declare in how many ways he discovered his tender- 
ness toward the friendless, and to how many inconveniences he 
cheerfully exposed himself for the alleviation of their various dis- 
tresses. He followed them to the most secret scenes of their 
wretchedness, and in all their afflictions he was afflicted ; he liter- 
ally boie their several burdens, and freely drank of their sorrowful 
tup, that he might make room iri it for a mixture of conbolation and 

(f) Rom. xv. 25— 31. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 95 

joy. He tvas eyes to the blind, and feet to the lame ; he was a father to the 
poor, and a mend to him, that hid no helper ; the blessing of such as zvere 
ready to perish came upon him, and he caused the widow's heart to sing for 
joy. Such was the attention of this compassionate pastor to 

the necessitous among his people, and such was the liberality which 
he exercised toward tnem to the close of his life, when a concern 
for their welfare accompanied him to his death bed ; where he ten- 
derly bewailed their distresses, and earnestly recommended them to 
the Vavnr of that God, who hath promised, that the poor shall not 
ahsnTjs be forgotten. 



TRAIT XXI. 

His charity tovxtrds sinners in qferhig than every spiritual 

assistance. 



T. 



O solicit alms for those who are destitute of food and 
raiment, and at the same time to withhold the word of God 
from those, who hunger and thirst after righteousness, is to 
manifest an unhappy inconsistency of character. Such in- 
consistencies, however, are frequently discoverable, even 
among pastors, who pique themselves upon their disposition 
to works of benevolence and chanty. 

Man has an immortal soul. This soul, which is properly 
himself, is rendered by sin so totally ignorant and so com- 
pletely miserable, that she seeks to enrich herself with the 
vanities of the world, and to gratffy her inclinations with 
the pollutions of sin. In pity to the soul in tfon state of 
wretchedness, the truths of the Gospel are proposed by a 
compassionate God, as a sacred remedy adapted to the 
nature of her innumerable wants : they illumine the blind 
with spiritual light and knowledge ; they clothe the naked 
with the robe of righteousness ; they feed the hungry ; 
they heal the sick ;. they burst the captive's bands ; they 
give eternal life to those who are dead in trespasses and 
sin : in a word, they make us partakers of the great salva- 
tion of God. To publish this Gospel then, or .o pro- 
cure the preaching of it to sinners, is undoubtedly to give 
them an important proof of the most excel.ent charity: 
while, on the other hand, to refuse them the word of God, 
or to avoid any occasion of administering it, is absolutely or 

occasionally 



96 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

occasionally to deny them those spiritual alms and assist- 
ances, which the Savior of the world has appointed for 
their daily relief. The pastor, who acts in this unbe- 

coming manner, resembles a physician, or an ahnoner, who, 
having received a charge from his prince to supply the 
poor with food, or the .sick with medicine, not only refuses 
to acquit himself of his acknowledged duty with diligence 
and impartiality, but strenuously opposes those, w r ho endea- 
vour to supply his lack of service. Such a minister seems 
to maintain a system as absurd and cruel, as would be that 
of either of those characters just alluded to, who should 
pretend, that no one had authority to administer alms to 
the poor, or medicine to the sick, except such as received 
pensions from the prince for that purpose ; and that even 
these would act in a disorderly manner, if they should dare 
to distribute alms or remedies except on the sabbath day, 
and then only during particular hours. 

So long as any pastor seeks his own glory, so long he 
will be subject to some degree of that contemptible jea- 
lousy, which will not suffer him to behold with pleasure 
the more abundant and successful labours of his brethren. 
But, the faithful minister of Christ, whose chief desire is 
the prosperity of the church, is actuated by a totally differ- 
ent spirit. Though he has a peculiar satisfaction in behold- 
ing the success of his own spiritual labors ; yet, when he 
hears the Gospel published by others, and even by such as 
are apparently influenced by unworthy motives, he greatly 
rejoices in their success. Hi c charity, which neither en- 
vies another's prosperity, nor seeks his own particular ad- 
vantage, expresses itself, upon so delicate a subject, in the 
language of St. Paul — Some indeed preach Christ even of envy 
and strife, supposing to add affliction to my bonds. What then? 
notwithstanding, every ivay, vohethei in pretence, cr in truth^ 
Christ is preached ; and 1 therein do rejoice, yea, and will 
rejoice (a). 

Influenced by envy, or rendered insensible by luke- 
warmness, worldly ministers are absolute strangers to the 
generous pleasure here mentioned by the Apostle ; r.or have 
they t&e least idea of acting in a criminal manner, when 

they 
(a) Phil. i. 15—18. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 97 

they will not permit the truths of the Gospel to be freely 
declared by all,- who are disposed to announce them. 

The good pastor, by whatever name he may be dis- 
tinguished, lives only to publish the Gospel, and to convert 
the souls committed to his charge :• to restrain him then 
from attending to these important labors, is to force him 
aside from the true end of his calling, and must appear to 
every enlightened mind a greater act of cruelty, than to 
withhold the rich from giving alms, or to detain an expert 
swimmer from saving his drowning brethren. If such a 
pastor, in any period of his life, has acted like a monopolist 
of the Gospel, and, by denying to the poor in spirit, what 
was freely given for their support, has caused in any place 
a, famine of the word; he believes himself abundantly more 
culpable than those avaritious merchants, who, by forming 
a monopoly of grain in the East Indies, caused a grievous 
famine in that country, by which an innumerable multi- 
tude of its inhabitants perished. Those covetous men de- 
nied to the bodies of their neighbours a perishable nounsh- 
ment; but he has withheld from the souls of his brethren 
that precious manna, which might have preserved them 
to everlasting life. Such was the crime of (hose, whom 
our Lord addressed in the following words — Woe unto you , 
Scribes and Pharisees, Hypocrites ! for ye shut up the kingdom 
of Heaven against men : for ye neither go in yourselves, neitlier 
suffer ye them, that are entering, to go in (b.) Observe St. 
Paul's sentiments of such characters. With respect to 
those Jews, ivho both killed the Lord Jesus, and their oivn 
Prophets, and have persecuted us ; they please not God, and 
are contrary to all men, forbidding Us to speak to the Gentiles, 
that thty might be saved, filling up bv this means the measure 
of their sin : for the ivrath is come upon them to the utter- 
most (c). 

If the character, which the Apostle here describes, was 
odious in a jew ; without doubt it is more so in a chris- 
tian, and still doubly detestable in a minister of the Gospel, 
whose heart should continually be animated with a fervent 
flesire for the conversion of sinners, and the salvation of 
all mankind. Was it possible for those, who are distin- 
guished by this trait of the character of Antichrist, to dis- 

K cover 

(b) Matt, xxiii. !3„ (c) 1 Thes. h. tb t lC 



03 THE PORTRAIT O? ST. PAUt. 

cover the turpitude of their own conduct, they would ac- 
knowledge themselves abundantly more guilty than the 
robber, who should force away from a famished pauper 
the morsel of bread he had begged in his distress. They 
would pronounce, without any hesitation, that the foster- 
mother, who neglects the infant she has undertaken to che- 
rish, and prevents her charitable neighbours from affording 
it any nourishment, is still more excusable than the pastor, 
who, not content with refusing to ieed the flock of Christ, 
endeavours to scatter his sheep, wherever they are found 
feeding; seeking out accusations against those, who have 
led them to a refreshing pasture, and studying by every 
means to withdraw the Gospel from those penitent sinners, 
who, as nav-hom babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, 
that they may groiv thereby (d). 

Happy will be the age, in which christian pastors shall 
no longer be found, like the Scribes in the days of SU Paul, 
laboring to fill up the measure of their iniquity! Then truth 
and piety shall no longer be restrained by the fetters of 
prejudice and bigotry! Then the faithful shall worship 
God, and publish the Gospel, with as much freedom, as 
the dissipated indulge themselves in the sports of the age, 
or the malevolent in slandering their neighbours ! 

NOTE XXI. 

The concern, which M. de la Flechere expressed for the relief of 
the unfortunate and afflicted, was truly uncommon ; but his com- 
passion was still more abundant toward the immoral and profane, 
whom he regarded as the most miserable of men. While he detested 
vice, he pitied the vicious ; and while he fled from sin, as from the 
face of a serpent, he turned to the sinner with the warmest emoti- 
ons of benevolence and charity. Considering the wicked as poor 
beyond the power of expression, he joyfully presented them with 
the pearl of great price. He saw them wandering as sheep without a 
shepherd, and endeavoured to conduct them to the fold of God : he 
beheld them attempting to quench their thirst at the poisoned streams 
of worldly pleasure, and affectionately invited them to the fountain of 
living zvaters : he saw them heedlessly rushing to the gates of death, 
and labored to turn their feet into the way everlasting. Ani- 

mated with that burning charity, by which St. Paul was impelled to 
publish the Gospel from nation to nation, this evangelical preacher 
was constrained, not only within but beyond the limits of his parish, 
to follow after the ignorant, the careless, and the abandoned, warning 
every man, and teaching every man in all wisdom, that he might present every 

man 

(d) lPeUii.2. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 99 

r&nn perfect in Christ Jesus. Considering the business, with which he 
was charged, as an employment of the highest importance, without 
paying any servile attention to times or places, he lost no opportu- 
nity of executing the commission he had received. His highest wish 
was to convert the zvkkedfrom the error .;/ his zvau ; and, in the course of 
so arduous an undertaking, he was prepared, at the command of his 
Lord, to go forth into the high-ways and hedges with the invitations 
of the Gospel ; anxious to do the xvork of an evangelist with all possible 
fidelity, and not ashamed, that every hour and every place should 
bear testimony to the affectionate zeal, with which he labored for the 
welfare of the church. As the miser toils to increase his hoards, and 
as the ambitious person studies to advance his reputation in the 
world,- with equal assiduity and desire this holy man endeavoured to 
promote the reformation of the ungodly. Rising up °arly, and late taking 
rest, he was employed, either directly or indirectly, through the 
whole of the day, in hiring laborers into the service cf bis Lord. To 
engage their attention and excite their desire, be set before them the 
freedom of that service, the honors that attend it, and the rewards 
that follow it : to strengthen their feeble resolution, he joyfully offer- 
ed them every biotherly assistance; and to shame their inactivity, 
he pointed them to the example of those, who cheerfully bore all 
the burden and heat of ' ih? day. As an affectionate father conducts 
himself toward his disobedient children, reproving and alluring, ad- 
monishing and persuading them, with every affecting testimony of 
parental tenderness ; so this spiritual father conducted himself to- 
ward the children of transgression and impiety, seeking, by every 
affectionate method, to engage them in the pursuit of that holiness, 
without which no man shall see the Lord, 

With respect to individuals, he was peculiarly careful to choose the 
fittest opportunities of conversing with them upon sacred subjects. 
In the day of their prosperity, he sometimes spake to them, as it 
were, at a distance ; but, in the day of their adversity, he redoubled 
his efforts, and followed them with the most familiar attention; fully- 
persuaded, that religious impressions can never be made in a more 
favorable season, than when the heart has been softened by pre\i- 
ous afflicting providences.. Were they destitute of spiritual know- 
ledge—he explained to them the mysteries of evangelical truth: 

were they presuming upon the mercy, they had formerly abused 

he awakened their fears by representations of that righteous wrath,, 
which is revea&j frosi Heavm against ail ungodliness c were they doubtful 
of ever finding acceptance with God— he animated their hopes, and 
encouraged them to a steady dependence ujron the promises of God; 
happily adapting his several applications to the circumstances of 
his spiritual patients. Such was the ardent charity of this 

father in Christ toward the depraved and unbelieviug, wherever ho 
discovered them j a charity, which was frequently no less effectual 
in its operations than powerful in its essence. A number of instan- 
ces might be here produced, in which the efforts of his love were 
crowned with success. But without selecting examples from among 
guch a cloud of witnesses, as are to be found within the compass of his 
stated lab jurs, 1 shall content myself with mcutiontag a particular 

K 2 instance. 



100 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

instance of this kind, which occurred in the course of his travels on 
the Continent. 

Meeting some years ago with a young Genoese, who was return- 
ing from Antibesto Genoa, M. de la Fiechere, who was taking the 
same voute, very courteously accepted the offer of his company. 
After a short conversation had taken place between them, our 
pious traveller was, deeply afflicted to discover, that his companion 
had largely imbibed the sceptical notions of the day. Upon this 
discovery, he beheld the youth with a mixture of compassion and 
hope, secretly determining to improve the providence, which had 
cast this young stranger in his way, by attempting to lead him from 
the grossness of materialism to the spirituality of the Gospel. As 
they were detained several days at Monacho by contrary winds, he 
thankfully embraced this favorable opportunity of conversing with 
his fellow-traveller, in the freest and most affectionate manner. At 
first the young man maintained his own sentiments with a great de- 
,gree of warmth, and with a strong persuasion, that every attempt 
. to refute them would be ineffectual: but, in the course of a few 
hours, he was unexpectedly staggered by the forcible arguments of 
his wiser opponent. At the end of a debate, which lasted two days, 
jhe frankly acknowledged himself vanquished, and expressed a desire, 
that the controversy might be turned into a liberal enquiry respect- 
ing the nature of revealed religion. Here M. de la Fiechere entered 
upon a part of his province, to which he was always especially dis- 
posed, explaining the scriptures in a manner peculiar to himself, 
equally intelligible and sublime, leading on his astonished companion 
from mystery to mystery, and opening before him an unbounded 
prospect of grace and glory. The young man was struck with the 
masterly skill, and affected with the more than parental concern of 
his instructor. He looked up to him with reverence, and listened to 
.him with admiration : and still, the longer he attended to his dis- 
course, the more he was athirst for information, renewing the sacred 
subject, with little intermission, from morning to night. At length, 
he was constrained to acknowledge the natural depravity and dark- 
ness of his mind, bewailing his former inattention to the most mo- 
mentous concerns, and lamenting, with many tears, that he had 
wandered so long without the help of an experienced guide, to 
extricate him from the mazes of delusion and error. From this time, 
he desired to be present at morning and evening prayer; on which 
occasions M. de la Fiechere was careful to expound some portion of 
scripture peculiarly adapted to his circumstances: and, during the 
continuance of these devotional exercises, such was the solemn at* 
tention and deportment of this altered youth, that a stranger would 
have supposed him a student of deep experience in the school of 
Christ. These religious impressions were not only continued, 

but deepened, from day to day, till their arrival at Genoa; when M. 
de la Fiechere had the satisfaction of observing in the character of his 
amiable companion every apparent token of a real and permanent 
change. During M. de la Flecbere\s continuance at this place, ho 
hud frequent opportunities of conversing with his new acquaintance, 

froia. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

frnm wbora he received many testimonies of a&Ctia afcfce regaitf, a:,d 
who ~i to establish in the faith of the Gospel. lie 

give him soch direction's and warnings, as were suited to his state, 
He exhorted him to search the scriptures, aod to continue instant hi 
pSBjpBE. He i:t be.-" ie bi.n tne trials and diincuities, which w 

attend his spiritual progress, together with the advantages 
a::d oos which cms! necessarily accompany a religious life. 

He guarded him against the devices of an ensnaring world, and 
pointed out the rauity of its richest gifts — how transient its smiles, 
how trifli viors, how uncertain its riches, how inconstant its 

friendship, how feeble Us supp- res — en treeing him toniai ; ; t clown in 
hts memory , that tbefirknd cj the zco'ld is Che tnemy of God. And now, 
he ing cJ.'.td away from Genoa, after taking a most affectionate leave 
oJ his youn? disciple, and commending: him to the grace or Uod in 
suiejuu p -on his m aj pg g . : i gg. 



TRAIT XXII. 

g Ccrtftescension of his hmabk Charity 

V^HARITY avoids all appearance of haughtiness *nd 
is never seen to act in an unbecoming manner. On the 
contrary, full of courtesy, she fears lest she should give 
offence to any ; and, full of benevolence, she labors for the 

ricaiion of alh Hence, the charitable pastor cannot act 
otherwise than with a holy condescension toward all men, 
and especially toward the ignorant and poor, with whom 
the ministers of the present age will scarcely deign to con- 
verse : and, without ever slipping his toot into the pit of 
error, he sometimes approaches it, wuh a happy mixture of 
compassion and prudence, for the relief of those, who are 
unable to extricate themselves from it. Though I am free 
from all men, writes St. Paul, yet 1 hats made myself servant 
unto all, that I might gain the more, Unto the Jews I became 
as a Jew. thai 1 might gain the Jews : to them, that are without 
law, as without law, \ that I might gain than, that are without 
a written law\ To the w.ak became I as weak, thai I might 
gam t ] t€ weak : J am made all things to all men, that I might 

lU means save some. And this 1 do for the Gospel 3 s sake (a), 
All tkaigs are lawful for me, continues he, but all things are 
n&L expedient ; all things are lawful for me, but all things edify 

K 3 not 

Ca}lCor,ix, 19—23, 



J02 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAVL. 

not (b). When ye sin against the brethren by wounding their 
weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore if meat 
make my brother to offend, J will eat no flesh while the world 
standeth, lest I make my brother to offend (c). Whether,. there- 
fore, ye eat or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to ike gloiy of 
God. Even as I please all men in all things, not seeking mine 
own profit, but the profit of many, that they may be saved (d). 

Behold that sweet prudence of charity, which our Lord 
recommended to his disciples, when he pointed out the 
Jolly of putting new wine into such bottles, as were unable 
to resist the force of the fermenting liquor. And of this 
affectionate discretion he himself gave them a striking ex- 
ample, when he said • I have many things to say unto you; 
hut ye cannot bear them now. If this condescending carriage 
was lovely in the blessed Jesus, it will ever appear amiable 
in his humble imitators, who can say, with the Apostle 
Paul, to the weaker members of the church : We have fed 
you ivith milk, and not ivith meat; for hitherto ye were not able 
to bear it (e). 

Special care is, however, to be taken, that this charitable 
condescension may never betray the interests of truth and 
virtue. Abstain, saith St. Paul, from all appearance of' 
evil (f ). Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ 
(g). For herein do I exercise myself, to have always a consci- 
ence void of offence toward God and toward men (h). And 
our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in 
simplicity and godly sincerity^ not with fleshly wisdom, but by 
the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, 
find more abundantly to you-ward, among whom we have 
labored in the Gospel (i). 

If there exist pastors, who lack this condescension to- 
ward the poor, or who are destitute of that humble cha- 
rity, which can familiarize itself with the most ignorant 
for their edification and comfort : if there are ministers to 
be found, who are ever meanly complaisant to the rich, and 
who are void of holy resolution in the presence of the great, 
instead of conducting themselves with that mingled hu- 
mility and dignity, which are suitable to the character they 

sustain 

(10 1 Cor. x. 23. (c) 1 Cor. viii. 12, 13. (d) 1 Cor. x. 32, 33, 
(e) 1 Cor, iii. 2. (f) 1 Thess. v., 22. (g) 1 Cor. xi, 1. 

(h) Acts xxiv. 16. (i) 2 Cor. u 12* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 105 

sustain — may the one and the other be convinced of the 
grievous error, into which they are fallen, while they con- 
template this opposite trait in the character of St. Paul. 

Upon what consideration is founded the humiliating 
distinction, which is generally made between the rich and 
the poor? Was Christ manifested in a state of earthly gran- 
deur ? Did he not chiefly associate with the poor ? Far 
from flattering the rich, did he not insinuate that they 
would, with the utmost difficulty, enter into the kingdom 
of God ? Did he not affirm, it were better for a man to be 
cast into the sea with a mill-stone about his neck, than to 
offend the poorest believer ? Did he not declare, that he 
would consider the regard shewn to the meanest of his fol- 
lowers, as though he himself had been the immediate ob- 
ject of it ? When St. James assures us, that he,ivho conzerteth 
a sinner from the error of his way, performs the best of all 
possible good works, because, by preventing a multitude' 
of sins, he places the soul in the road to every virtue — 
can this declaration be supposed to lose any of its force, 
when applied to the soul of a poor man ? Are not the 
lowest of men equally immortal as the most elevated } Did 
not Christ humble himself to the death of the cross for the 
poor as well as the rich ? Hath not God chosen the poor of this 
•world, rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom? And, finally, 
were the angels less ready to convey the soul of perishing 
Lazarus to Paradise, than that of wealthy Abraham ? 
Perish then for ever that unchristian prejudice, which dis- 
honors the poor, nourishes the pride of the rich, and leads 
us to the violation of that great command , by which we 
become as guilty as though we had transgressed the whole 
Law, the spirit of which is Love. And let us remember, 
it is only out of the ruins of so despicable a partiality, that 
the engaging condescension of w r hich St. Paul has left us so 
lovely an example, can possibly be produced. 



TRAIT XXIII. 

His Courage in Defence of oppressed Truth. 

QHARITY rejoiceth in the Truth (a). These two amiable 

companions are closely united together, and mutually 

sustain 
(a) 1 Cor. xiii, 6. 



IOi THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

sustain each other. It is possible, however, when an error 
has the suffrages of many persons respectable on account 
of their wisdom, their age, their rank, their labors, or their 
piety, that a sincere christian may be tempted to sacrifice 
truth to authority, or rather to a mistaken charity. But the 
enlightened pastor, putting on the resolution of St. Paul, 
will never suffer himself to be imposed upon by the appear- 
ance either of persons, or things : and though he should see 
himself standing alone on the side of evangelical truths, hs 
will not fear, even singly, to act as their modest and zeal- 
ous defender. 

In these circumstances, a luke-warm minister loses all 
his courage. Behold his general plea for the pusillanimity, 
of his conduct — 'I am alone, and what success can I. 
4 expect in so difficult an undertaking I The partisans of 

* this error are persons, whom I both love and honor ^ 

* Some of them have shewn me great kindness, and others 
' have sufficient credit to prejudice the world against me. 
' Moreover, it would be looked upon as presumption in 

* me, who am weaker than a reed, to oppose myself to a 
' torrent, which bears down the strongest pillars of the 

* church/ Such is the manner, in which he apologizes for 
the timidity of his conduct in those situations, where bis 
Jove of truth is publicly called to the test :. not considering, 
that to reason thus is to forget, at once, the omnipotence of 
God, the force of truth, and the unspeakable worth of those 
souls, which error may poison and destroy. 

On the contrary, the faithful minister, who on all occa- 
sions rejoices in the truth, corf erring not with fiesk and blood, 
courageously refuses to bear the yoke of any error, that 
must evidently be accompanied with evil consequences. 
In the most trying situations of this nature he imitates the- 
conduct of the great apostle, who, when he saw a shameful 
error making its way into the church, placed himself iatbe 
gap, and gave way to the emotions of his honest zeal, as j 
related in the following passage : — False brethren came in 
privily to spy out our liberty, which wc have in Christ Jesus,, 
that they might bring us into bondage. To whom xve gave 
place by subjection, no not for an hour ; that the truth of the 
Gospel might continue with yon. And u hen Peter ivas co?ne to ' 
Aniioch, J withstood him to the face, because he was to be 

blamed* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 105 

blamed. For, before that certain came from. James, he did eat 
with the Gent Iks : but, when they were come, he withdrew and 
separated himself, fearing them which were of the circumcision* 
And the other Jeivs dissembled likewise with him, insomuch, that 
Barnabas also, under the specious pretence of not offending 
his neighbour, was carried away with their dissimulation. But 
when I saw, that they walked not uprightly according to th$ 
truth of the Gospel, 1 said unto Peter, before them all ; If thou, 
being a jew, livest after the manner of the Gentiles, and not as 
do the Jews, why compellest thou the Gentiles to live as do the 
Jews (bj ? 

This reasonable reprimand is, perhaps, one of the great- 
est proofs which St. Paul ever gave of the uprightness of 
his intention, and the steadiness of his resolution. 

Ye men of integrity ! ye, who have proved how much 
it costs to defend the truth, when it stands opposed to that 
deference, which condescending love obliges us to shew, in 
a thousand instances, to respectable authority ; you alone 
are able to make a proper judgment of the holy violence, 
which was exercised by St. Paul upon this occasion. But 
whatever they may be called to endure, in so honorable a 
cause, happy are those christians, and doubly happy those 
pastors, who have so great a love for truth, and so true a 
love for their brethren, that they are ready at all times, 
with this faithful apostle, to sacrifice to the interests of the 
Gospel, every inferior consideration, every servile fear, and 
every worldly hope. 

NOTE XXII. 

Though truth has many professed admirers, yet she seldom finds 
a steady follower, and stilt less frequently a resolute defender. 
Without a solid understanding, an upright heart, and an unconquer- 
able resolution, no man is properly qualified to maintain the rights 
of truth. He, that is void of understanding, will never discover the 
worth of truth ; he, that is destitute of an upright heart, will feel but 
little attachment to truth, notwithstanding her worth; while he, 
that is of an irresolute temper, will rather desert her standard thanf 
suffer in her cause. Balaam was eminently distinguished by a] 
spirit of discernment ; but was destitute of an upright heart : Peter 
was possessed of an upright heart ; but betrayed, on a memorable 
occasion, the want of an undaunted spirit: Saul the pharisee, though 
remarkable for his uprightness and resolution, was miserably defec- 
tive " 
.(b) Gal. ii. 4—14. 



l'Q6 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAVt. 

tive with respect to spiritual discernment: while Paul the apastle, 
uniting in his character all these several qualifications, became a 
zealous and steady defender of truth. It, would be difficult to 

say, in which of these three qualifications M. de la Fiecbere princi- 
pally excelled; so happily proportioned was his sincerity to his 
discernment, and the firmness of his resolution to th# uprightness of 
his heart. Thus remarkably furnished for the service of truth, 
he engaged himself in her cause with an extraordinary degree of 
activity and zeal, earnestly desiring to see the uttermost parts of 
the earth illuminated with her beams, and the inhabitants of every 
country submitting to her authority. Wherever he came, he 
exalted her honors, and bore testimony to her matchless worth, 
making mention of her ways, as ways of pleasantness, and commending 
her paths, as paths of peace. Whenever he saw spiritual truth trium- 
phant, he rejoiced at the sight, as one that find-elk great spoil: when he 
beheld her despised and rejected, he cheerfully shared her disgrace 
and suffered in her cause. If her excellencies were at any time ob- 
scured by the misconceptions of the ignorant, he endeavoured to 
dissipate that obscurity, and exhibit her to the world in all her 
Dative lustre. It he saw her assaulted, he voluntarily exposed him- 
self to clanger in her defence : and whether the attack was made by 
mistaken friends, or inveterate enemies, he opposed it, as a man 
wholly proof against the undue influence of prejudice or interest, 
resentment or respect. In ail his struggles for truth, he contended 
with confidence, but without obstinacy ; with zeal, but not with bit- 
terness ; in meekness instructing, those, that Gpposed themselves, if God 
per adventure might give them repentance to the acknozvledging rf the truth. 
If the error he discovered was merely of a circumstantial nature, he 
pursued it with less severity ; but if it was a fundamental error, be 
opposed it with a holy vehemence, giving it no quarter, till it was 
allowed, by the candid and impartial, to be absolutely untenable *. ij* 
the mean time, making it abundantly manifest, by bis modest and 
courteous deportment, that he contended, not for the acquisition of 
victory, but for the exaltation of truth. 

His ardent attachment to divine truth would not permit him to 
hear in silence the least insinuation, that might be thrown out to the 
disadvantage of Christianity. And in some companies, he thought 
it necessary to call upon the avowed despisers of revelation, either 
to establish or retract the charges, they had exhibited against the 
religion of Jesus. In England he very rarely mixed with persons of; 
an irreligious conversation ; but, in his passage through other coun- 
tries, he was frequently obliged to associate with men of a character 
altogether opposite to his own. In Italy, France, and Holland, be 
has taken his seat with a steady composure among deists, socinians,' 
and free-thinkers; and, after vainly endeavouring, in the politest 
manner, to introduce a conversation respecting divine truth, has 
been often constrained to signify his desire of exchanging an argu- 
ment with any gentleman in company, on the subject of natural 
religion. As these offers were always made in the most graceful 
terais, they were frequently accepted in a becoming manner, when 

a eon-- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 107 

a conversation has usually taken place sufficiently interesting to 
excite the curiosity and engage the attention of every person pre- 
sent. Upon every occasion of this nature, he appeared perfectly- 
dispassionate and recollected, discovering an accurate acquaintance 
with every part of his subject, and never failing to foil his strongest 
antagonists upon their own ground. And in the close of every such 
debate, he was careful to recapitulate the principal arguments which 
had been advanced by either party, in the course of the contest, 
ascribing the victory he had obtained to the irresistible power of 
truth, and enumerating the special advantages of revealed, over . 
natural, religion. 

Some years ago, he met with a traveller on the Continent, who 
had adopted the sentiments of Voltaire with respect to the religion 
of Jesus, a man of much information and refinement, and a strenu- 
ous opposer of the christian faith. This gentleman no sooner under- 
stood that he was sitting in company with a zealous defender of 
scriptural truth, but, confiding in his own superiority, he carelessly 
threw out the gauntlet, by ridiculing the sentiments, which M. de la 
Flechere maintained. Our pious traveller immediately accepted 
the challenge with a modest assurance, and the conversation be- 
tween these two able disputants soon became serious. Every argu- 
ment on either side was proposed with the greatest caution, and 
every proposition examined with the nicest accuracy. After the 
contest had continued for several hours together, the gentleman 
grew impatient at his want of success; while his calmer opponent 
confuted and exposed the tenets, he had- vainly endeavoured to 
maintain. This debate was continued by adjournment for 

the space of a week: and, during this season, whatever had been 
said upon the subject, by the most celebrated writers, was regularly 
bi ought forward and thoroughly canvassed. IVJ. de la Flechere 
repeatedly overcame his antagonist, whose arguments became more 
languid and ineffectual toward the close of the debate, and who re- 
gularly lost h:s temper and his cause together. In the course of this 
controversy, M. de la Flechere took a view of the christian's envi- 
able life, his consolation in trouble, and his tranquility in danger, 
together with his absolute superiority to all the evils of life and the 
horrors of death ; interspersing his remarks w r ith many affectionate 
admonitions and powerful persuasives to a rational dependence upon 
the truths of the Gospel. Such was the conclusion of this 

memorable debate ; in the course of which the unsuccessful dis- 
putant conceived so exalted an idea of his opponent's character, 
that he never afterwards mentioned his name, but with peculiar 
feneration and regard. And, as a proof that this regard was un- 
feigned, meeting with M. de la Flechere about eight years afterwards 
in Provence, where he lived in affluence and ease, he shewed Hm 
every possible civility, entertaining him at his own house in the most 
hospitable manner, and listening to his conversation on spiritual 
subjects with all imaginable attention and respect. 

Such was the manner, in which M. de la Flechere acquitted him- 
self in the defence of oppressed truth ; and whether his efforts were 

successful 



!03 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

successful or not, be left behind hiui, in every place, sufn>ie, J 
proofs of the acuteness, resolution, and constancy, with which h 
exerted himself in her cause. 



TRAIT XXIV. 

His Prudence in frustrating the Designs of Ms Enemies. 

JL HERE is no kind of calumny, which the incredulous 
have not advanced, in order to render Christianity either 
odious or contemptible. According to the notions of these 
men, to adopt the maxims of evangelical patience, argues a 
want of sensibility ; and to regulate our conduct, according 
to the dictates of christian prudence, is to act the hypocrite. 
What we have to say, in this place, will chiefly respect the 
latter charge. 

It has been asserted by modern infidels, that the gentle- 
ness and forbearance, which the Gospel requires of its 
professors, must necessarily make them the dupes of design- 
ing men, and lead -them unreluctantly into the snares of 
their persecutors. But to draw this inference from some 
few passages of scripture, understood in too literal a sense, 
is to set truth at variance with itself, merely for the pur- 
pose of charging christians with all the evil, which, it is 
presumed, they might have avoided by prudence, or have 
overcome by resolution. The example of our 

Lord, and that of St. Paul, might have rectified the ideas 
of cavillers upon this point. When Christ exhorted his 
disciples to be harmless as doves > he admonished them at the 
same time to be wise as serpents: and of this harmless wis- 
dom he himself ga^e a striking example, when he was in- 
terrogated by the Jews, respecting the lawfulness of pay- 
ing tribute unto Cesar. Well acquainted with the different 
sentiments of that people, with regard to the Roman yoke, 
without directly combating the prejudices of any party, he 
returned a satisfactory answer to all parties, by an infer- 
ence drawn from the ima<?e and superscription borne upon 
their current coin — Bender therefore vnto Cesar the things 
that are Cesar^s, and unto God the things that are God'b (a). 

The 
(n) Matt. xxii. 21, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 109 

The sincere christian, and the faithful minister, have 
frequent occasion for this happy prudence, as well as St. 
Paul, who, more than once, employed it with success. 
The Jews, irritated against this apostle, sought occasion to 
destroy him, on account of the zeal, with which he pub- 
lished the Gospel among the Gentiles. Hoping to soften, 
the prejudices, they entertained against his conduct, he re- 
counted to them, how Jesus, being raised from the dead 
and appearing to him in an extraordinary manner, had 
expressly sent him to the Gentiles (b) : when the Jews, 
more irritated than before, would have torn him in pieces, 
had he not been rescued out of their hands by the Roman 
garrison. By this means Paul was preserved for a more 

peaceful hearing. And on the morrow, when he stood 
before the Jewish council, perceiving that the assembly- 
was composed, partly of sadducees, who say there is no 
resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit ; and partly of phari- 
sees, who believe equally in the existence or' spirits and the 
resurrection of the body ; he immediately availed himself 
of this circumstance, and cried out — Men and brethren, I 
am a pharisee, the son of a pharisee ; of the hope and resurrec- 
tion qf the dead I am called in question (c). As though he 
had said — The great cause of the violent persecution, that 
is now raised against me, is, that I preach Jesus and t$e 
resurrection. Our fathers, indeed, were not absolutely 
assured of a life to come ; but the important doctrine of the 
resurrection, and of the judgment that shall fellow, is now 
demonstrated; since God has given an incontestible 
proof of it, iq raising up his Son Jesus from the dead. And 
I myself ha\e been an eye-witness of his resurrection, to 
whom he lias appeared two several times, once as I jour- 
neyed to Damascus, and afterwards as I prayed in the 
temple. But when I mentioned this second appearance 
of a risen Saviour, my increaulous accusers began vehe- 
mently to cry out, Away ivith such a fetloiv from the earth. 
By this- just exposition of the fact, and by his prudent 
selection of the res ur recti an of Christ from among the other 
great doctrines of Christianity, St. Paul happily caused a 
division to take place among his judges. And the cent 
answered his expectation: for the scribes, that were of the 

L j hariiees 

(b) Acts xxii. 21* (c) Acts xxlii 6. 



110 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

pharisees part, arose, saying ; We find no evil in this man : but 
if a spirit, i. e. a man risen from the dead, or an angel hath 
spoken to him , let its not fight against God (d). There 

is still another instance of the wisdom of the serpent recon- 
ciling itself with the innocence of the dove, in the conduct 
of this Apostle, when, marking the disposition of his Athen- 
ian judges, he took advantage of their taste for novelty, by 
announcing to them The unkiwivn God, to whom they had 
already erected an altar (e). 

This christian prudence, equally distant from the dupli* 
city of hypocrites and the stupidity of idiots, merits a place 
among the traits which characterize this great Apostle, not 
only because it is worthy of our imitation, but also because 
it has been indirectly represented, by a modern Celsus, as 
mere cunning and artifice. The author here alluded *o, 
who deserves rather to be called a great poet than a faith- 
ful painter, having disfigured this trait of St. Paul's charac- 
ter with a pencil dipt in the gall of prejudice; we gladly 
take this occasion of setting forth the injustice of his impu- 
tations, so illiberally cast both upon Christianity itself, and 
the most eminent of its defenders. This witty philosopher, 
who has said so many good things against the spirit of 
persecution, never perceived, that he himself w as actuated 
by an intolerant spirit : so true it is, that the most sagacious 
are liable to be blinded by passion or prejudice, The 
same spirit of persecution, which excited the Athenians to 
discountenance the justice of Aristicles, as a dangerous 
singularity, and to punish the piety of Socrates, as a species 
of atheism, led the author of the philosophical dictionary to 
represent the prudence of St. Paul as the duplicity of an 
hypocrite. 

Had this severe judge occupied the seat of Ananias, he 
might, perhaps, with an affected liberality, have overlooked 
the peculiarities of the Apostle's creed ; but, in the end, 
hi* innate detestation of piety would have assisted him, 
according to the general custom of persecutors, to feign 
somejust cause for treating him with the utmost rigor. And 
this he has done in our day, as far as his circumstances 
would permit ; since, no! being able to disgrace him by the 
hand of a public executioner, ne has studied to do it with 

his 
(<3) Acts xxiii. P, (e) Acts xvir. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. Ill 

his pen, by ravishing from him, not only his reputation for 
extraordinary piety, but even his claim to common honesty. 

Persecutor ! whoever thou art, be content that thy pre- 
decessors have taken away the lives of the righteous and 
spare them what they prefer infinitely before life itself; Ihe 
testimony of a good conscience. 



TRAIT XXV. 

His Tenderness toward others, and his Severity toviard himself. 

JL HOUGH perfectly insensible to the warm emotions of 
brotherly love, the worldly pastor frequently repeats, in his 
public discourses, those affectionate expressions, which flow 
so cordially from the lips of faithful ministers, My dear 
brethren in Christ ! These expressions from the pulpit are 
almost unavoidable, upon some occasions ; but, in general,,, 
they are to be regarded in no other light than the civil ad- 
dresses of a haughty person, who concludes his epistles by 
assuring his correspondents, that he considers it an honor 
to subscribe himself their obedient servant. But while the 
worldly minister affects a degree of benevolence, which he 
cannot feel, the good pastor, out of the abundance of a heart 
overflowing with christian charity, addresses his brethren 
w r ith the utmost affection and regard, not only without any 
danger of feigning what he has not experienced, but even 
without a possibility of expressing the ardor of his brotherly 
love. His exhortations to the faithful, like those of St.. 

Paul, are seasoned with an unction of grace, and accom- 
panied with a flow of tenderness, which frequently give them 
an astonishing effect upon his brethren, and which always 
evince the interest he takes in the concerns of the church. 
Rebuke not an elder, says St., Paul, but entreat him as a father, 
and the younger men as brethren ; the elder women as mothers, 
the younger as sisters, with all purity (a). Such was the ex- 
hortation of this apostle to a young minister, nor was his 
example unsuitable to his counsel. 1 beseech you, brethren, 
by the mercies of God, that ye present your bjdics a living 

L 2 sacrifice, 

(a) 1 Tim. v. 1. 



3 12 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God. Dearly beloved, be not over- 
come of evil, but overcome evil with good (b). / write not these 
things to shame you, but as my beloved sons I warn you f c). /, 
the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you, that ye walk worthy of the 
vocation, wherewith ye are called (d). If there be any consola- 
tion in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the 
spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfil ye my joy, that ye be like- 
minded, being of one accord. My beloved, work out your own 
salvation with fi.ar and trembling (e). We beseech you, bre- 
thren, and exhort you by the Lord Jesus, that as ye have received 
of us, how ye ought to walk, and to phase God, so ye would 
abound more and more if). Though I might be much bold in 
Christ, to enjoin thee that which is convenient^ yet for love's sake 
J rather beseech thee, being such a one as Paid the aged, and 
now also a prisoner of Jesus Christ. I beseech thee for my son 
Gnesimus, whom I have begotten in my bonds ; who in time past 
was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me, 
vjhcm I have sent again. Thou therefore receive him, that is 
?nine own bowels. Yea, brother, let me have joy of thee in the 
Lord : refresh 'my boivels in the Lord (g). Such was the ten- 
derness and affection, with which St. Paul was accustomed 
to address his believing brethren. But the language of this 
Apostle was very different when he spoke of himself, and 
of that body of sin, which constrained him to cry out; O 
wretched mun, that 1 am. 

It is the character of too many persons, to be severe 
towards the failings of others, while they shew the utmost 
lenity toward themselves, with respect both to their infir- 
mities and their vices. Always ready to place the faults of 
their neighbours in an odious light, and their own in the 
most favorable point of view, they seem to be made up of 
nothing but partiality and self-love ; while the true minis- 
ter reserves his greatest indulgence for others, and exercises 
the greatest severity toward himself. All things are lawful for 
?ne, writes St. Paul, but 1 w ill not be brought under the power 
of any (h). Know ye not, that they which run in a race, run 
all, but one receiveth the prize ? And every one that stnvethfor 
the mastery, is temperate in all things : now they do it to obtain 
a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible. L therefore so 

run, 

(b) Rom. xii. 1, 19, 21. (c) 1 Cor. iv. 14. (d) Eph. iv. 1. 
(a) Phil. ii. 1,2, 12. (f) 1 Thfss. iv. 1. 

(g) Philemon v. 8, 12, 20. (h) 1 Cor. vi. 12. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. J IS 

rum not a s uncertainly ; so fight I, not as one that beaieth the 
air : but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection ; let* 
that, by any means, ivhe.i I have preachsd to otlitrs, I myself 
should be a cast-aivay (i.) 

One reflection naturally finishes this trait of the charac= 
ter of St. Paul. If this spiritual man, if this great Apostle,, 
thought himself obliged to use such strenuous efforts, that he 
might not be rejected before God a!, the last ; in how great 
danger are those careless pastors and christians, who, far 
from accustoming, themselves to holy acts of self-denial, satis- 
fy their natural desires without- any apprehension, and treat 
those as enthusiasts, who begin to imitate St. Paul, by re- 
garding their baptismal vow, and renouncing their sensual 
appetites. 

NOTE XXIII." 

It was observed to the disgrace of the ancient scribes, toat tney 
bound heavy burdens up >n others, which they themselves refused to 
touch icifh one of their fingers : and their uncharitable conduct in this 
respect was publicly condemned, by the blessed Jesus, who pro- 
nounced the severest Judgments upon their self-indulgence. Con- 
trasted with the carriage of those ilhberal pretenders to piety, the 
conduct of M. de la FFechere appeared in a truly admirable and ex- 
emplary point of view. Far from subjecting others to those hard- 
ships and restraints, which he refused to impose upon himself, he 
cheerfully endeavoured to lighten the burdens of his brethren, though 
it was by redoubling his own, . He labored to quicken, and not to 
retard, the progress of the weak and iuexpeiienced. He compassion- 
ated their defects, and made excuse for their constitutional infirmi- 
ties, in the manner of his gracious Master, who kindly apologized for 
the inattention of his sleeping disciples. He studied to present the. 
religion of Jesus in its moat alluring form, not as a vial of-vratk, but as 
a cup of consolation ; not as a gall rug yoke, but as a sacred tie ; not as 
a depressing burden, but as a never-failing support. When he beheld 
toe incautious entangled in the mazes of temptation, he tenderly la- 
mented the effects of their indiscretion ; and instead of throwing 
unnecessary ioi pediments in the way of their escape, he affection- 
ately labored to break through the snare, and deliver the captive, it 
his brother was overtaken in a fault, he endeavoured to restore hi: 
tie spirit of 'meekness-. — if his conscience was wounded with a sense of 
sin, he hastened to meet him with healing remedies — if he was over- 
whelmed with the dread of his besetti-ng sin, and harassed with the 
apprehension of future miscarriages, he encouraged him to come 
boldly to \the throne of grace, that he might obtain merry, and find grace to 
help in every time of need. In his whole deportment toward the ignor- 
ant aad unfaithful, he copied the character of a skilful, and affection- 

L 3 ate 

(i) 1 Cor. ix. 24—27/ 



Ill THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

ate preceptor, who keeps future difficulties as far removed as possible 
from the view of his pupils, accommodating iheir exercises to their 
several capacities, overlooking their past negligence, supplying their 
present deficiencies, and mentioning their poor attainments with 
commendation and praise. 

But, while his conduct toward others was marked with unusual 
lenity and tenderness, he exercised the strictest seventy with regard 
to himself. He sought after an entire conformity to the perfect will of 
God. And to accelerate his progress toward this desirable state, he 
cheerfully renounced his natural habits, and resolutely opposed his 
own will, unweariedly laboring to bring every thought into captivity to 
ike obedience of Christ. He struggled against the most innocent of his 
infirmities ; he entered upon the most painful exercises ; and re- 
fused to allow himself in the least temporary indigencies, which 
were not perfectly consistent with a life of unfeigned mortification 
and self-denial. He engaged himself in every kind of spiritual labor 
with the most intense application, suffering no talent to remain unoc- 
cupied, nor any moment to pass by unimproved : and so perfectly 
was he inured to habits of Christian industry, that he never discover- 
ed an inclination to sweeten the most laborious, exercises with those 
refreshments and relaxations, which he esteemed not only allowable, 
but, in some cases, necessary, to his weaker brethren. Considering 
himself as a member of Christ's militant church, be complained of no 
hardships, nor thought any difficulty too great to be encountered, in 
the course of bis warfare. He was careful to act, in every instance, 
consistently with his high profession ; training himself up to spiritual 
hardness and activity, by a resolute attention to the strictest rules of 
chnstian discipline ; preferring the path of duty before the lap of re- 
pose ; neither listening to the suggestions of fear, nor regarding the 
dictates of worldly prudence ; stifling even the necessary calls of 
nature, that he might follow, with less interruption, the leadings of 
grace ; and, finally, counting neither ease, nor interest, nor reputation, 
jior even life itself, dear to him, that he might finish his course with joy* 



TRAIT XXVI. 

His Love never degenerated into Cowardice, hut reproved and 
consoled as Occasion required. 



T 



HE chanty of the true minister bears no resemblance to 
that phantom of a virtue, that mean complaisance, that un- 
manly pliancy, that unchristian cowardice, or that affected 
generosity, which the ministers of this day delight to honor 
with the name of charity. According to these insufficient 
judges, to be charitable — is only to give some trifling alms 

out 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 115 

out of our abundant superfluities., to tolerate the most dan- 
gerous errors, without daring to lift up the standard of 
truth, and to behold the overflowings of vice, without at- 
tempting to oppose the threatening torrent. Such 
would be the mistaken charity of a surgeon, who, to spare 
the mortifying arm of his friend, should suffer the gangrene 
to spread over his whole body. Such was the charity of the 
high priest Eli toward Hophni and Phinehas ; an impious 
charity, which permitted him to behold their shameful de- 
baucheries with too favorable an eye ; a fatal charity, which 
opened that abyss of evil, which finally swallowed them up, 
and into which they dragged with them their father, their 
children, the people of Israel, and the church, over which 
they had been appointed to preside. 

The good pastor, conscious that he shall save a soul from 
death, if he can but prevail with a sinner to forsake his evil 
way, uses every effort to accomplish so important a work. 
And among other probable means, which he employs on 
this occasion, he tries the force of severe reprehension, re- 
buking the wicked with a holy authority ; and, if it be 
necessary, returning to the charge with a spark of that 
glowing zeal, with which his Master was influenced, when 
he forced from the temple those infamous buyers and sellers,- 
who had profaned it with their carnal merchandize. Thus 
St. Paul, on receiving information, that scandalous errors had 
been discovered in the conduct of a member of the Corin- 
thian church, immediately wrote to that church, in the fol- 
lowing severe and solemn manner — It is reported, ckctt there 
is fornication among you. And ye are puffed up, and have not 
rather mourned, that he, that luiih done this deed, might betaken 
away from among you. Know ye not, that a Hide leaven leav* 
eneth the whole lump, and that the plague la any single mem- 
ber of a society is sufficient to infect the whole company ? 
Purge out, therefore, the old leaven, and put away from among 
yourselves that wicked person. Jfany man, that is cal'ed a brother, 
be a fornicator ; keep not company with such a one, no not to eat. 
Be not deceived : fornicators shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 
Know ye not, that your bodies are the members of Christ f Flee 
fornication, there tore, and avoid the company of fornicators. 
For ye are bought with a price : therefore glorify God in 
your body, and in your spirit, which are God's, Further, 

/ verily, 



H6 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged aU 
ready concerning the lascivious person, that is among you, to 
deliver such a one unto Satan for the destruction of the flesh, 
that the spirit may be saved in the day of our Lord Jesus (a). 

When the true minister has passed the severest censures 
upon sinners, and beholds those censures attended with the 
desired effect, he turns to the persons he lately rebuked 
with testimonies of that unbounded charity, that beareth all 
things and hopeth all things. More ready, if possible, to 
relieve the dejected than to humble the presumptuous, after 
having manifested the courage of a lion, he puts on the 
gentleness of a- lamb, consoling and encouraging the penitent 
offender, and never ceasing to intercede for him^ till his par- 
don is obtained both from God and man. Thus St. Paul; 
who had so sharply rebuked the Corinthians in his first 
epistle, gave them abundant consolation in his second* 
and exhorted them, to receive with kindness the person, 
whom he had before enjoined them to excommunicate. It 
is easy to recognize the tenderness of Christ in the^ follow- 
ing language of this benevolent, Apostle. I wrote unto you 
my first epistle out of much affliction and anguish of heart, with 
many tears, not that ye should be grieved, but that ye v tight know 
the love, which I have more abundantly unto you (b). . Great is 
my glorying of you, J am filled with comfort, A am exceeding 
joyful in all our tribulation. God, that comforteth them that arc 
cast down, comforted us by the coining of Titus my messenger,, . 
when he. told us your earnest desire, your, nmurning,. and your 
fervent mind toward me. For though I made you sorry wait a 
letter, I do not repent, though I did repent. Now I rejoice, not 
that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to repentance. For 
ye were made sorry after a godly manner — -For, behold, what 
carefulness it wrought in you ! what clearing of yourselves ! ivhai 
holy indignation J what fear ! what vehement desire ! whatzealj 
what revenge ! In all things ye have approved yourselves to he 
clear in this matter. Moreover, ive ivere comforted in your 

comfort. Yea, and exceedingly the more joyed we for the joy of 
Titus, because his spirit was refreshed by you all. And his 
inward affection is more abundant toivard you± whilst he re- 
membereth the obedience of you all, and how you received him, 
together with my reproof, . w it h fear and, trembling. I rejoice, 

therefore, 
(a) 1 Cor. v. vi. (b) 2 Cor. ii. 4. 



THE PORTRAIT OP ST. PAUL. 117 

therefore, that J have confidence in you in all things (c). And 
with respect to the person who has caused us so much dis- 
tress, Sufficient to such a man is this punishment, which was 
inflicted of many. So that now ye oughi rather to forgive him, 
and comfort him ; lest, perhaps , such a one should be swallowed 
tip with overmuch sorrow. Wherefore, I beseech you, that ye 
would confirm your love toward hem. To whom ye forgive any 
thing, I forgive also : nay, I have already forgiven him, for 
your sakes, as in the presence of Christ (d). 

Great God ! appoint over thy flock vigilant, charitable, 
and courageous pastors, who may discern the sinner through 
all his deceitful appearances, and separate him from tny 
peaceful fold, whether he be an unclean goat,, or a raven- 
ous wolf. Permit not thy ministers to confound the just with 
the unjust, rendering contemptible the most sacred mys- 
teries, by admitting to them persons, with whom virtuous 
heathens would blush to converse. Touch the hearts of 
those pastors, who harden thy rebellious people, by holding 
out tokens of thy favor to those, who are the objects of thy 
wrath : and permit no longer the bread of life, which they 
carelessly distribute to all, who chuse to profane it, to be- 
come in their unhallowed hands the bread of death, Dis- 
cover to them the impiety of offering their holy things to the 
dogs : and awaken in them a holy tear of becoming accom- 
plices with those hypocritical monsters, who press into thy 
temple to crucify thy Son afresh ; and who, by a constant 
profanation of the symbols of our holy faith, add to their 
other abominations the execrable act of eating and drinking 
their own damnation, and that with as much composure, as 
some among them swallow down the intoxicating draught, 
or utter the most impious blasphemies. 

AN OBJECTION ANSWERED. 

Before we proceed to the consideration of another trait 
of the character of St. Paul, it will be necessary to refute an 
objection, to which the preceding trait may appear liable. 
' Dare you/ it may be asked, * propose to us, as a model, 
* a man, who could strike Elymas with blindness, and de- 
*• liver up to Satan the body of a sinner V 

Answer, 
(c) 2 Cor. vii. (d) 2 Cor. ii. 6 — 10. 



113 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

Answer. The excellent motive, and the happy success 
of the Apostle's conduct, in both these instances, entirely 
justify him. He considered affliction not only as the cruci- 
ble, in which God is frequently pleased to purify the just, 
but as the last remedy to be employed for the restoration of 
obstinate sinners. Behold the reason, why the charity of 
the primitive church demanded, in behalf of God, that the 
rod should not he spared, when the impiety of men was no 
longer able to be restrained by gentler means ; determining, 
that it was far better to be brought to repentance, even by 
the sharpest sufferings, than to live and die in a sinful state. 
To exercise this high degree of holy and charitable seve- 
rity toward a sinner, was, in some mysterious manner, to 
deliver up his body to Satan, who was looked upon as the 
executioner of God's righteous vengeance in criminal cases 
— thus Satan destroyed the first-born of Egypt, smote the 
subjects of David with the pestilence, and cut off the vast 
army of Sennacherib. St. John has thrown some light upon 
this profound mystery, by asserting, There is a sin unto death 
(a) ; and the case of Ahab is fully in point ; for when that 
king had committed this sin, a spirit of error received imme- 
diate orders to lead him forth to execution upon the plains of 
Ramoth-Gilead (b). This awful doctrine is further con- 
firmed by St. Luke, when he relates that, in the same in- 
stant, when the people, in honor of Herod, gave' a shout, 
saying ; It is the voice of a God and not of a man ; the angel of 
the Lord smote him, because he gave not God the glory: and he 
u as eaten up of worms, and gave up the ghost (c). The 

punishment thus inflicted, by the immediate order of God, 
was always proportioned to the nature of the offence. If 
the sin was not unto death, it was followed by some tempo- 
rary affliction, as in the cases of Elymas and the incestuous 
Corinthian. If the crime committed was of such a nature 
that the death of the sinner became necessary, either for the 
salvation of his soul, for the reparation of his crime, or to 
alarm those, who might probably be corrupted by his perni- 
cious example, he was then either smitten with some incur- 
able disease, as in the case of Herod ; or struck with imme- 
diate death, as in the case of Ananias and Sapphira, who 
sought to vail their hypocrisy with appearances of. piety, 
and their double-dealing with a lie. Had M. Voltaire 

considered 

(a) John v. 16. (b) 1 Kin&sxxii. 20, 22* (c) Actsxii. 22, 23.. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 119 

considered the christian church, as a well regulated species 
of theocracy, he would have seen the lolly of his whole rea- 
soning with respect to the authority of that church, in its 
primitive state. And convinced, that God has a much 
greater right to pronounce by his ministers a just sentence 
of corporeal punishment, and even death itself, than any 
temporal prince can claim to pronounce such sentence by 
his officers ; that daring philosopher, instead of pointing his 
sarcasms against an institution so reasonable and holy, would 
have been constrained to tremble before the Judge of ail 
the earth. 

Finally. It is to be observed, that when this kind of 
jurisdiction was exercised in the church, the followers of 
Christ, not having any magistrates of their own religion, 
lived under the government of those heathenish rulers, 
who tolerated those very crimes, which were peculiarly 
offensive to the pure spirit of the Gospel. And on this 
account God was pleased to permit the most eminent 
among his people, on some extraordinary occasions, to ex- 
ercise that terrible power, which humbled the offending 
church of Corinth, and overthrew the sorcerer Elymas in his 
wicked career. If it be enquired — What would be- 

come of mankind, were the clergy of this day possessed of 
the extraordinary power of St. Paul ? We answer- — The 
terrible manner, in which St. Paul sometimes exercised the 
authority he had received, with respect to impenitent sin- 
gers, is not left as an example to the ecclesiastics of the 
present day, unless they should come (which is almost im- 
possible) into similar circumstances, and attain to equal de- 
grees of discernment, faith, and charity, with this ApOotle 
himself, 



i 



TRAIT XXVII. 

His perfect Disinterestedness, 



F charity seeketk not her oivn ; and if it is required, that 
the conversation of the faithful should be without covetousness ; 
it becomes the true minister, in an especial manner, to 
maintain an upright and disinterested conduct in the world. 

The* {h 



]20 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Though it be true, that they which wait at the aha?' 
are partakers with the altar ; yet nothing is so detestable 
to the faithful pastor, as the idea of. enriching himself 
with the sacred spoils of that altar. Observe how St, 
Paul expresses himself upon this subject. We brought 
nothing into this world, and it is certain we can cany no* 
thing out. Having, therefore, food and raiment, let us be 
therewith content. But they, that will be rich, fall into tempta- 
tion and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, 
which drown men in perdition. For the love of money is the 
root of all evil ; which while some have coveted after, they have 
erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many 
sorrows. But thou, O man of God, who art set apart as a 
minister of the everlasting Gospel,jfee these things ; and follow 
after righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, meekness (a). 
With regard to myself, I have learned, in whatever state I am, 
therewith to be content r Every v:here, and in all things, I am 
instructed, both to befidl and to be hungry, both to abound and 
to suffer need (b). Neither at any time used we flattering 
words, as ye know, nor a cloak of covetousness ; God is witness. 
For ye remember our labor and travel, because we would not be 
chargeable unto any of you. Ye are our witnesses, and God 
also, how holily, and justly, and unblameably, we behaved our* 
selves among you that believe (c) . Behold the third time I am 
ready to come to you ; and I will not be burdensome to you; 
for I seek not yours, but you : for the children ought not to lay 
up for the parents, but the parents for the children. And I will 
very gladly spend and be spent for you (d). Behold 

the disinterestedness of the faithful shepherd, who is ever 
less ready to receive food and clothing from the flock, than 
to labor for its protection and support ! Behold the spirit of 
Christ ! And let the pastor, who is influenced by a different 
spirit, draw that alarming inference from his state, which 
he is taught to do by the following expression of St. Paul : 
If any man hath not the spirit of Christ; he is none of his (e). 

Happy would *be the christian church, were it blessed 
with disinterested pastors ! Avaritious ministers, who 
are more taken up with the concerns of earth, than 
wiih the things of Heaven, who are more disposed to 

enrich 

fa) 1 Tim. vi. 7—11. (h) Phil. iv. 11, 12. (c) 1 Thess. ii. 5, 10. 
(d) 2 Cor. xii. U, 15, (e) Ron), viii. 9. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 12! 

enrich their families, than to supply the necessities of 
the poor, who are more eager to multiply their bene- 
fices, or to augment their salaries, than to improve their 
talents, and increase the number of the faithful — such 
ministers, instead of benefiting the church, harden the 
impenitent, aggravate their own condemnation, and force 
infidels to believe, that the holy ministry is ued, by 
the generality of its professors, as a comfortable means of 
securing to themselves the perishable bread, if not the fad- 
ing honors, of the present life. 

NOTE XXIV. 

Upon his discovering the goodly pearl of evangelical truth, M. de 
la Fiechere, like the merchant in the Gospel, immediately bartered 
his all for the possession of so invaluable a gem. Till then, he had 
been engaged in pursuits of a worldly nature : but, from that time, 
he sought after no other treasure than the iinsear:h :bl j ri-h s of grace, 
nor desired any inheritance except that, which is reserved for the 
saints in everlasting light. Through every period of his religious life, 
he appeared as a pilgrim and stranger in the world, unailured by its 
smiles, unmoved by its frowns, and uninterested in its change?, — 
His affections were wholly fixed upon things above; and while 
thousands and ten thousands were contending around him for the 
advantages and honors of the present life, he desired to pa-s un- 
noticed through its idle hurry, without being entangled in its con- 
cerns, or encumbered with its gifts. It was with him, as wit.:- a 
person engaged in a race, which must be attended with immense 
gain or irreparable loss : he kept his eye immoveably fixed upon 
the ^oai • and whatever gilded trifles were thrown iu his way, he 
resolutely trampled on them all, uninterruptedly pressing r 
mark, for the prize of his high cal'in* in Cnrisi Jesus. His mind was 
never distracted with a multiplicity of objects, nor did he ever 
mmgle temporal expectations with eternal hopes. Considering oee 
thing only as absolutely necessary to his happiness, while he pur- 
sued the substance, he rejected the shadow ; and while he contended 
fir an incorruptible crown, he had no ambition to appear in the 
fading garlands of earthly glory. Possessed of that faith which 
oierco:neth. the xorld, he beheld it with the feelings of his tempted 
Ma-ter ; anxious for its good, but despising its voce; prepared U> 
labo. , in it> service, but resolute to reject its reward- ; deaf to its 
promises, blind to its prospects, arid dead to its enjoyments 

He received, indeed, a part of h"s maintenance from the altar, 
at which he served : but so scanty was the income produced by fa s 
parish, that it scarcely sufficed, in some year<;, io;- the liberality of 
his contributions toward the relief of tiie poor. Yet so perfectly 
satisfied was he with his inconsiderable appointments at Madeley, 
that he desired nothing more than to conclude both his labors and 
his life in that favored village. Had he been d spesed to improve 

M ejrery 



122 THE eOETRAlT OF ST. PAUL, 

every favourable opportunity of advancing his temporal interests* 
he might have succeeded beyond many, who are anxiously plotting 
and contriving the means of their future promotion in the World. 
But, as a proof of his superiority to every allurement of this nature, 
lie peremptorily refused, once and again, the offer of additional 
preferment. And, as a further testimony of. his perfect disinterested- 
ness, after having so far destroyed his health, by the. excess of his 
labors, that he was obliged to retire for a season from his charge, he 
solemnly determined, in case of continued weakness, to give up 
together the profits and duties of his ministerial station. 

I cannot here pass by an affecting instance of his disinterested 
disposition, which occurred a year or two before his decease. Mr.. 
and Mrs. de la Flechere were earnestly requested, by several serious 
persons at Dublin, to come over for a few weeks for the purpose of 
promoting the interests of religion in that city, by their godly 
exhortations and example. So long as civility or piety would suffer 
it, they declined the journey : but, after being repeatedly urged to 
undertake it at the united instances of a christian society, they 
judged it improper any longer to withhold their consent, lest, m 
disregarding the solicitations of a willing people, they should disobey 
the summons of God. Accordingly they accepted the invitation, 
and appeared for a season in another kingdom, as two burning and 
shining lights. A gentleman of Dublin, who enjoyed much of their 
company during this hoiy visit, writes as follows. " I wish it- were 
i€ in my power to send you any anecdotes of our dear deceased 
44 friend. But, unless I were to send you an account of the words 
64 and actions of every d^v, I know not where to begin. One parti- 
44 cular circumstance, however, I will relate — Upon his going to 
«.' leave us, knowing the scanty pittance he received from his 
<« parish, we thought it but an act of common honesty to refund 
* e him the expense he had been at in comings and to bear his 
64 charges back again. Accordingly, after he had preached, on the 
i4 last evening of his stay among us, the steward and trustees united 
" to press his acceptance of a small purse, not as a present, but as 
<* a debt justly due to him. But he firmly and absolutely refused it. 
<c At length, being very urgent with him, and importunate to an 
" excess, he took the purse in bis band. Well, said he, do you really 
44 force it upon me ? Musk I accept of it ? Is it entirely mine ? And may I 
" do with it as I please? Yes, yes, we all replied.. God be praised then, 
" God be praised, said be, casting his brim-full eyes to Heaven, 
44 behold, what a mercy is here I Your poofs fund zvas just out : I heard 
44 some of you complaining., that it zvas never so low before* Take this 
" purse. God has sent it you, raised it amongst yourselves, and bestowed it 
44 upon your poor. You cannot deny ?ne. It is sacred to them* God be 
** praised! I thank, you, I heartily thank, you, my dear kind brethren. 
44 Thus was his free Gospel a bountiful provision for our poor, while 
<4 this last generous action served to harrow in the precious seed, 
« that his labor of love had been sowing among us. Indeed it was 
44 a crowning of his labors, a sealing of his message, that will 
44 never be forgotten by us, that is registered in the pages of eter- 
** nity, and will follow him among those works, that he ever gloried 
44 to cast at the feet of Jesus/ 1 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 123 

Nothing more remains to be said, but that the disposition above 
described, not confined to pecuniary matters, was exemplified 
through the whole conduct of M, de la Flechere, manifesting, upon 
all occasions, that he acted under the entire influence ot that dis- 
interested charity, which seeketh not her ozvn. 



TRAIT XXVIII. 

Mis condescension in labouring, at times, with his own hands, 
tJutt he jniglu preach industry by example, as well as by 
precept* 

OUCH is the disinterestedness of the true minister, that 
though he might claim a subsistence from the sacred office, 
to which he has been solemnly consecrated ; yet he gene- 
rously chooses to sacrifice his rights, when he cannot enjoy 
them without giving some occasion for reproach. To sup- 
ply his daily wants, he is not ashamed to labor with his 
own hands, when he is called to publish the Gospel, either 
among the poor, or in those countries where the law has 
not appointed him a maintenance, as among heathen nations 
and savage tribes : nor will he refuse to do this, when his 
lot falls among a slothful people, animating them to dili- 
gence in their several vocations by his prudent condescen- 
sion, that the Gospel may not be blamed. In such circum- 
stances, if his own patrimony is insufficient for his support, 
no disciple of Jesus will blush to follow the example of St. 
Paul, who gives the following representation of his own 
conduct in cases of a like nature — Have I committed an 
offence in abasing myself, that you -might be ■ exalted, because I 
have preached to you the Gospel of God freely? When 1 was 
present with you and wanted, I was chargeable to no man ; in 
all things I have kept myself from being burdensome unto you, 
and so will I keep myself. As the tmth of Christ is in me ; no 
man shall stop me .of this boasting in the regions of Acliaia-. 
Wherefore? because I love you not ? God knoweth. But thai 
1 may cut off occasion from them that desire occasion, and who 
would not fail to represent me as a self-interested person, 
were they able to charge me with the enjoyment of my 
just rights among you (a). / have coveted no mans silver, or 

M2 gold 

(a) 2Cor. xi. 7— 12, 



124 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

gold j or apparel: ye yourselves knoxv, that these hands -have 
ministered unto my necessities, and to them that were with me* 
I hare shewed you all things, how that so laboring ye ought to 
support the weak; and to remember the words of our Lord 
Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive (b)„ 
Ye know, how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not our- 
selves disorderly among you, neither did we eat any man's bread 
for nought ; but wrought with labor and travel night and day, 
that we might riot be chargeable to any of you : not because we 
have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto yon. 
For even, when we were with you, this we commanded you, that 
\f any would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear, that 
there are some, which ivalk among you disorderly, working not 
at all, but are busy bodies (c). Happy were those 

times of christian simplicity, when the Apostles of Christ 
thought it no disgrace to follow some useful occupation, for 
the relief of their temporal necessities — when, instead of 
eating the bread of idleness, they cast their net* alternately 
for fishes and for men — when they quitted the tabernacles, 
in which they were wont to labor, for the sacred recreation 
of setting before sinners a building of God, an house not made 
with hands, eternal in the Heavens. Of how much greater 
value were the nets of St. Peter, than dogs of the chase j 
and the working implements of St. Paul, than those tables 
of play, at which many of his unworthy successors are now 
seeking amusement ! 

But notwithstanding all the circumspection and prudence 
of trie faithful pastor, even though he should think it neces- 
sary to preach industry by example, as well as by precept; 
yet if his exhortations are more frequent than those of his 
lukewarm brethren, he will be reproached, by the irreli- 
gious part of the world, as an indirect advocate for indolence. 
The enemies of piety and truth are still ready to renew the 
old objection of Pharaoh against the service of God : Where* 
fore do ye let the people from their works ? The people of the 
land are many, and you make them rest from their burdens* 
They be idle ; therefore they cry, saying, Let us go and sacrifice 
to our God. Let there more work be laid upon the men, and 
let them not regard- vain words (d). Such is the erroneous 
judgment, which is generally formed respecting the most 

zealous 

(l») Acts xx. c 3 ? 35. (0 2 Thes,B. iii. V— 1 J. (d) Exodus v. 4, 9. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 125 

zealous servants of God : but while they feel the bitterness 
of these unmerited reproaches, they draw more abundant 
consolation from the encouraging language of their gracious 
Master— Blessed are ye, when men shall say all manner of evil 
against you falsely } for my sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad,. 
for great u your reward in Heaven; for so persecuted they the 
Prophets, which ivere btfore you (e). 

The declared adversaries of religion are not, however, 
the only persons, who accu-se a laborious minister of divert- 
ing the people from iheir business, by the too frequent re- 
turns of public exhortation and prayer : there are others, 
jnol wholly destitute of piety, who frequently add weight to 
these unjust accusations. Such are the half-converted, who- 
not yet understanding the inestimable worth of that bread, 
which nourisheth the soul to everlasting life, are chiefly- 
engaged in laboring for the bread which perisheth. Men 
of this character, engaging themselves in a vast variety of 
earthly concerns, incessantly disquiet themselves in vain, and 
consider those hours as running to waste, in which a zealous 
pastor detains thern from worldly cares and frivolous enjoy- 
ments. While he is engaged iri teaching, that one thing 
only is absolutely needful, they are grasping at every appa- 
rent good, that solicits their affections, r and while he is insist- 
ing upon -'the necessity of choosing that good part, which 
shall not be taken away, these formal professors are ready to 
reason with him, as Martha with Jesus — Dost thou not 
know, how greatly we are cumbered with a multiplicity of 
vexatious concerns ; and carest thou not that our assistants 
and dependents are detained from their necessary avoca-- 
lions by an indolent attendance upon thy ministry ? 

These false sentiments, with respect both to the minis- 
ters and the word of God, which too generally prevail 
among nominal christians, have their source in that direct 
opposition, which must always subsist between the grand 
maxim of the children of God, and the distinguishing 
principle of worldly men— Seek ye first the Kingdom of God 
and his righteousness, saith the blessed Jesus, and all tK 
things, which are further necessary to your welfare, shall ve 
added unto you ; (f) ; No, replies the prince of this world; 
seek ye first the enjoyments of time and sense ;. and all other 

M 3 things 

(e) Matt.w 1 i, 12.. (f) Matt. vi. 33. 



125 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUT. 

things, that are needful to your well-being, shall be added 
overihd above. From these two opposite principles re- 
sults that entire contrariety, which has been observed in all 
ages between those, who are laying up treasures upon 
earth, and those, who have set their affections upon things 
that are above. Happy are the faithful, and doubly 

happy the pastors, who, constantly imitating the great Apos- 
tle, according to their several vocations, pray and labor at 
the same time, both for their daily bread, and the bread of 
eternal life 1 In thus observing the two-fold command of 
Moses and of Christ, some reasonable hope may be enter- 
tained, that their good works will at length overcome, the 
aversion of their enemies, as those of the first christians 
overcame the deep-rooted prejudices of the heathen world. 



TRAIT XXIX. 

The respect, he man/jested for the holy estate of matrimony, 
while christian prudence engaged him to live in a state of 
celibacy. 



s 



OME ministers have carried their disinterestedness to so 
high a pitch, that they have refused to enter into the mar* 
riage state, merely with this view ; that, being free from all 
superfluous care and expense, they might consecrate their 
persons more entirely to the Lord, and their possessions less 
reservedly to the support of the poor, whom they considered 
as their children, and adopted their heirs. But all pastors 
are not called to follow these rare examples of abstinence 
and disinterested piety. 

When we examine into the life ©fa celebrated man, we 
generally enquire, whether he passed his days in a state of 
marriage or celibacy, and what it was that determined his 
choice to the one or the other of these states. Such an en- 
quiry is peculiarly necessary with respect to St.. Paul, as 
many of the faithful, in the earliest ages of the church, 
deluded by the amiable appearance of celibacy, embraced 
the monastic life ; a state, to which the clergy and the re- 
ligious of the romish church stiH dedicate themselves : 

whence 



J fHE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 127 

whence those disgraceful accusations, which divers philoso- 
phers have preferred against the christian religion, as de- 
structive of society in its very origin, which is the conjugal 
bond. But, leaving the reveries of legend, if we seek 

for Christianity in the pure Gospel of Christ, we shall find 
this accusation to be totally groundless ; since one view of 
the christian Legislator, in publishing that Gospel, was to 
strengthen the nuptial tie, by declaring, that an immodest 
glance is a species of adultery, by revoking the permission 
formerly given to the husband to put away his wife for any 
temporary cause of dissatisfaction, and by absolutely forbid- 
ding divorce, except in cases of adultery (a). Nav, so far 
did this divine Lawgiver carry his condescension in honor 
of the marriage state, that he was present at one of those 
solemn feasts, which were usually held upon such occasions, 
attended by the holy virgin and his twelve disciples : and 
not content with giving this public testimony of his respect 
for so honorable an institution, he accompanied it with the 
first miraculous proof of his almighty power,. 

St. Paul, it is true, passed the whole of his life in a state 
of celibacy ; but he never enjoined ii to any person : and if 
he occasionally recommended it to some, to whom it wa9 
indifferent, whether they married or not > it was chiefly on 
account of tbe distress and persecution of those times fb). 
To engage the most pious persons ordinarily to live in a 
state of celibacy, is not less contrary to nature and reason, 
than to the spirit of the Gospel. This is to oppose the pro- 
pagation of the best christians and the most faithful subjects: 
it is to suppose, that those persons, who join example to 
precept in the cause of virtue, and who for that very reason 
are peculiarly qualified for the education of children, are the 
only persons in the world who ought to have none. The 
absurduy of this opinion constrained the Apostle Paul pub- 
licly to combat it, by declaring to the Hebrews, that jt/aR- 
riage aid the bed undefiled are honorable among all men (e) 9 
He further affirmed, that a Bishop must be the husband of one 
wife, one that ruleth well his o-'.cn house, hating his children in 
subjection ivith alt \ gravity (d). And if he wished the Corin- 
thians to continue in the state, which he himself had chosen, 

on 

(a) Matt, y, 28, 32„ (b) 1 Cor. vii. 26. (c) Heb. xliu 4, 

(d) I Tim. in. 2, 4. 



123 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAVt.< 

on account of the peculiar advantages accruing from it, a# 
that season, to the persecuted members of the christian 
church ; nevertheless, to avoid fornication, he counselled, that 
every man should have his own wife r and every woman her own 
husband (e). I wi41, saith he to Timothy, that the younger 
women marry, bear children, and guide the house (f). And 
lastly, he cautioned the same christian Bishop against the 
error of those, who, in the last times, should depart from the 
faith, giving heed to the doctrines of Devils, and forbidding U+ 
marry ; earnestly exhorting his young successor to guard 
against a doctrine, so fotal to the- church in particular, and 
so destructive of society m general (g)t % 

But it may be urged — If St. Paul reaHy entertained 1 
such high ideas of marriage, and represented it as the roosfc 
perfect emblem of that strict union, which subsists betwixt 
Christ and his church ; why did he not recommend it by 
his example? I answer — Although St..- Paul was never 
married, yet he expressly asserted his right to that privilege^ 
as well as St. Peter and some others of the Apostles (h) ;* 
intimating, at the same time, that prudence aad charity in- 
clined him to forego his right in that respect. When a 
man is perpetually called to travel from place to place, pru- 
dence requires, that he should, not encumber himself with 
those domestic cares, which must occasion many unavoid- 
able delays in the prosecution of his business : or, if he 
derives his maintenance from the generosity of th-3 poor> 
charity should constrain hina to burden them as little as 
possible. This zealous A postie could not prevail upon, 
himself to expose a woman and children to those innumer- 
able dangers, which he was constantly obliged to encounter. 
The first peril, from which he made his escape, was that 
which compelled him to descend from the wall of Damascus 
in a basket : now if a family had shared with him in the 
same danger, what an addition would they have made to his 
affliction and his care! Is it not evident, that, in such cir- 
cumstances, every man, who is not obliged to marry from 
reasons either physical or moral, is caJkd to imitate the ex- 
ample of this disinterested Apostle, from the same motives 
of prudence and charity ? This indefatigable preacher, al- 
ways 

(e) 1 Cor. vii. 2. (0 I Tim. v. U. (g) 1 Thn. iv^ 1,6. 
(b) 1 Cor. ix. 5. 



THE P0RTKA2T OF ST. PAUL. 129 

ways on a mission, judged it adviseable to continue in a 
single stale to the end of his days : but, had he been fixed 
in a particular church ; had he there felt, how much it con- 
cerns a minister, neither to tempt others, nor be tempted 
himself; and had he known, how much assistance a modest, 
provident, and pious woman is capable of affording a pas- 
tor, by inspecting the women of his flock — he would then 
probably have advised every resident pastor to enter into the 
marriage state, provided they should fix upon regenerate 
persons, capable ;f edifying the church, in imitation of Phebe 
a deaconness of Cenchrea, and Persis, who was so dear to 
St. Paul on account of her labors in the Lord (i) ; or copy- 
ing the example of those four virgins, the daughters of 
Philip, who edified, exhorted, and consoled the faithful by 
their pious discourses (k).* 

The christian doctrine on this point may be reduced to 
the following heads. 1. In times of great trouble and 
grievous persecutions the followers of Christ should abstain 
from marriage, unless obliged thereto by particular and 

powerful 
(i) Rom. xvi. 1,12. (k) Acts xxi. 9. 

* The attention of ministers in choosing such companions, as 
may not hinder their success in the ministry, is of so great import* 
ance, that in some countries the conduct of a pastor's wife, as well as 
that of the pastor himself, is supposed either to edify or mislead the 
flock. Nay the minister himself is frequently condemned for the 
faults of his wife : thus in the protestant churches of Hungary, they 
degrade a pastor, whose wife indulges herself in cards, dancing, or 
any othei public amusement, which bespeaks the gaiety of a lover of 
the world rather thau the gravity of a christian matron. This severity 
springs from the supposition, that the woman, having promised obe- 
dience to her husband, can do nothing but what he either directs or 
approves. Hence, they conclude, that example having a greater in* 
fluence than precept, the wife of a minister, if she is inclined to the 
world, will preach worldly compliance with more success by her 
conduct, than her husband can preach the renunciation of the world 
by the most solemn discourses. And the incredulity of the stumbled 
flock will al vays be the consequence of that unhappy inconsistent, 
which is observable between the serious instructions of a well-dispo- 
sed minister, and the trifling conduct of a woman, with whom he is 
so intimately connected. Nor are there wanting apostolic ordinances 
sufficient to support the exercise of this severe discipline :— Even so 
must t/ieir wives be grave, not slanderers, sober, faithful in all things. Let 
the Bishop or Deacon be one, that ruleth well his ozvn house, having his 
-kldren, and every part of his family in subjection with all gravity: for if 
a man know not how to rule his ovon house, how shall he take care of the churck 
fGod? ITim. iii.4,5, U, 



ISO THE PORTRAIT OF St, FAUL. 

powerful reasons (I). 2. The faithful, who mean to em- 
brace the nuptial state, should be careful, on no account, to 
connect themselves with any persons, except such as aire 
remarkable for their seriousness and piety (m). 3. If a 
man is married before he is converted ; or if, being con- 
verted, he is deceived in choosing a woman, whom he 
supposed to be pious, but discovers to be worldly ; instead 
of separating himself from his wife, in either of these cases, 
he is rather called to give all diligence in bringing her ac- 
quainted w r ith the truth, as it is in Jesus (n). 4. Mission- 
aries ought not to marry, unless there be an absolute neces- 
sity. 5. A Bishop or resident pastor, is usually called to the 
marriage state (o). Lastly. A minister of the Gospel, who 
is able to live in a state of celibacy for the Kingdom of Hea- 
ven's sake, that he may have no other care, except that of 
preaching the Gospel, and attending upon the members of 
Christ's mystical body; such a one is undoubtedly called to 
continue in a single state. For, having obtained the gift 
of continence, he is dispensed from carnally giving children 
Jo the church, because he begets her spiritual sons and 
daughters : and such a one, instead of being honored as the 
head of a particular household, should be counted worthy of 
double honor, as a spiritual father in his Lord's family (p). 

NOTE XXV. 

Early in life M. de la Flechere was introduced to the company 
of Miss Bosanquet, a lady of distinguished piety, and one, who had 
open exposed to peculiar sufferings in the cause of godliness. From 
the very first acquaintance of these two excellent persons, they were 
deeply sensible of each other's worth, and felt the secret influence of 
a mutual attraction. . But, notwithstanding the peculiar regard they 
entertained for each other, no intimate intercourse subsisted between- 
them for many years after this period. Both were called to ah ex- 
traordinary course of spiritual exercises : but, by the providence of i 
God, they were appointed to labor in different stations. While he 
was exhausting his strength in the service of his flock, she was no less 
honorably employed in applying an ample fortune to the relief of the 
friendless, collecting together, and supporting under her own roof, an 
extensive family, composed of the afflicted, the indigent, and the 
helpless; but chiefly consisting of orphan children. To these occu- 
pations they devoted the prime of their days, and during more than 
twenty years unwearied attention to these sacred employments, no 
regular correspondence was maintained between them. They knew, 

however,, 
(J) Matt. xxiv. 19. (m}2 Cor. vi. 14. (n) 1 Cor. vi. 16; 
(o) 1 Tim. iii. 12. Tit. i, 6. ( p ), Matt. xifc, 12. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. iSl 

however, and rejoiced in each other's labors : but while every succeed- 
ing report tended to encrease tbeir mutual regard, they greatly endea- 
voured to turn the whole stream of their affections toward heavenly 
things, joyfully sacrificing every inferior consideration to. the interests 
of the church, and the glory of their common Master, It was not till 
his last return from Switzerland, after his unexpected recovery from a 
dangerous illness, that M. de la Fiecbere renewed his personal ac- 
quaintance with Miss Bosanquet, who received him as a friend re- 
stored from the grave. They had each of them studiously followed 
the leadings of providence in their appointed stations ; an.d at this 
time, a combination of extraordinary circumstances led them into 
those habits of intimacy, which daily encreased their deep-rooted at- 
tachment to each other. There existed on either side a variety of 
motives to their immediate union, and not a single reason of any 
weight for their continued separation. Every seeming impediment 
was suddenly removed out of the way, and, all things wonderfully^ 
conspired to accelerate that entire connection between them, which 
promised a large addition to their mutual comf rt. At length, with 
the fullest persuasion that they acted under the divine influence, they 
received each other at the altar, in the most solemn and affecting 
manner, as from the immediate hand of God, and in the presence of 
-a. multitude of friends, who rejoiced to see so much solid piety and 
worth united by an indissoluble tie. This union took place on the 
12th day of November, 1781. And not long afterwards M. de la 
Fiecbere conducted his truly amiable companion to the vicarage of 
Madeley, where they received the unaffected salutations of a joyful 
people. 

From this period M. de laFlechere considered himself as possess- 
ed of the last possible addition to his earthly happiness, never men- 
tioning this memorable event, but with expressions of extraordinary 
gratitude and devotion to the God of all his mercies. And from this 
time, to the other parts of bis character must be added that of an at- 
tentive and affectionate husband, which he maintained with a becom- 
ing mixture of dignity and sweetness to the day of his death. By, her, 
christian conversation, her devotional habits,, and her spiritual expe- 
rience, Mrs. de la Fiecbere was peculiarly suited to a state of the most 
entire and intimate fellowship with this eminent servant of God. She 
was of equal standing with him in the school of Christ, and of the same 
uncommon growth in grace j she had drank of the same spirit, was 
actuated by the same zeal, anci prepared in every respect to accom- 
pany him in- the christian race. By her discretion and prudence she 
bore the uhole weight of his domestic cares; while, by the natural 
activity of her mind and. her deep acquaintance with divine things, 
she seconded his ministerial labors, with astonishing success. Lil^ 
Zecharias and Elisabeth, these extraordinary persons zveiebotk emin- 
ently righteous before God, y walking in all the commandments and ord<n- 
c)ices of the Lord 'blameless. In their separate stations, they had 
long been distinguished as lights in dark places: but, after uniting 
their rays, they shone with redoubled lustre, putting to si'ence the ig- 
norance of foolish merit and dissipating the prejudices, which many had 

entertained 



£52 TtTE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

entertained against the truths of the Gospel. It is with diffi- 

culty, that I forbear to enlarge upon this point : but, as the world 
will probably one day be favored with a more interesting detail, 
relative to this part of my subject, to add any thing more in this 
place, would be only to forestal, what it can by no means render 
unnecessary. 

For the space of almost four years, these christian yoke-fellows 
continued to enjoy, without interruption', all the inexpressible feli- 
cities of the most complete union; a union which appeared to pro- 
mote, at once, their own particular happiness, and the interests of 
the people, among whom they jointly labored -— when M. de fa 
Flechere was unexpectedly called from an imperfect anticipation, to 
the full fruition, of heavenly blessedness. This afflicting providence 
was severely felt by the surviving party, who lost at this separating 
stroke whatever she had counted most valuable on this side eternity* 
But, while she felt all the anguish of an immediate separation from 
her dearest friend, she looked forward with a joyful hope of being one 
day united to his happy spirit, where the pangs of parting can be 
known no more. Mrs. de la Flechere was surrounded, upon this sad 
occasion, by a multitude of sincere mourners ; who, while they de- 
plored the loss of their inestimable pastor, recollected, with peculiar 
satisfaction, that the last years of his life had been years of abundant 
consolation and peace ; — and who now rejoice that, in his removal 
from among them, he left behind him a lively representative of him- 
self, one who enters into his labors and watches over his flock, a 
support to the needy, a guide to the ignorant, and a mother in Israel, 



TRAIT XXX. 

The Ardor of Ms Love. 

HE passions are the springs, by which we are usually 
actuated. Reason alone is too weak to put us in motion, so 
often as duty requires ; but when love, that sacred passion of 
the faithful, comes in to its assistance, we are then sweetly 
constrained to act in conformity to the various relations we 
sustain in civil and religious life. Thus the God of nature 
has rooted in the hearts of mothers a fond affection, which 
keeps them anxiously attentive to the wants of their child- 
ren : and thus the spirit of God implants in the bosom of a 
good pastor that ardent charity, which excites him to watch 
over his flock with the most affectionate and unwearied 
attention. The love of a father to his son, the attachment 
of a nurse to her foster-child, the tender aifection of a 

mother 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. \o?> 

mother to her infant, are so many 'emblem* employed in 
the Holy Scriptures to set forth the sweetness and ardor 5i 
that christian love, which animates the true minister to the 
performance of his several duties. You know, says St. Paul, 
how We exhorted, and comforted, and charged every one of you, 
as a father doth his children — We were gentle among you, even 
as a nurse cherisheth her children: so, being affectionately de- 
sirous of you, we tvere willing to have imparted unto you, -not 
the Gospel of God only, but also our own souls, because ye ivefe 
dear unto us (a). God is my record, how greatly I long after 
you all, in the bowels of Jesus Christ (b). Receive us ; for 
are in our hearth to die and live with you (c). Worldly pasters 
can form no idea of that ardent charity, which dictates such 
benevolent language, and accompanies it vviih action?, 
which demonstrate its sincerity. This is one of those mys- 
terious things, which are perfectly incomprehensible to the 
natural man, and which frequently appear to him as the 
extremes! folly. x This fervent love improves us into 

new creatures, by the sweet influence it maintains over all 
our tempers. This holy passion deeply interests the faithful 
pastor in the concerns of his feliow-chrisiians, and teaches 
him to rejoice in the benefits they receive, as though his 
own prosperity was inseparably connected with theirs. 
I thank my God, writes the great Apostle to the benefactor 
of his brethren, ?naking mention of thee always in ?ny prayers, 
hearing of thy love and faith, which thou hast toward the Lord 
Jesus, and toward all saints; that the communication of thy 
faith may become effectual, by the acknowledging of every good 
thing, which is in you in Christ Jesus. For ivd. have great joy 
and consolation in thy love, because the bowels of the saints are 
refreshed by thee, brother (d).- The sorrow and the 

joy of this zealous imitator of Christ were generally influ- 
enced by the varying states of the faithful. When any, 
who had once ran well, were seen loitering by the way, or 
starting aside from the path of lifg, he expressed the mo?t 
sincere affliction on their account — There are some, of 
ivhom I have told you often, and now tellynu evth weeping, that 
they are the enemies of the cross of Christ (e)'i On the other 
! hand, the progress of believers was as marrow to his boi.es, 
and as the balsam of life to his heart — We are dad, xskeh wc 

N ,; . ,,-, 

(a) 1 Thess. it. 7, 8, 11. '(b) Phil i. 8. (c) 2 Cor. vii. 2, 3, 
(d) Philem. io t*-7. (e) PhU. iii. 13, 



13% THE PORTRAIT Of ST. PAUL. 

are weak mid ye are strong ; and this also ice wish, even your 
perfection (f). My brethren, dearly beloved and longed for, 
v'yjoy and crown-, stand feast in the Lord, my dearly beloved. 
Be blameless and harmless, the sons of God without rebuke, 
holding forth the ivord cf life : that I may rejoice in the day of 
Christ) that I have not rim in vain, neither laboured in vain (g). 

Reader, whoever thou art, permit me to ask thee one 
important question. Art thou acquainted with that ardent 
charity, which influenced the Apostle Paul ? If his christian 
love was like a rapid and deep river; is thine at least, 
like a running stream, whose waters fail not ? Do thy joys 
and thy sorrows flow in the same channel, and tend to the 
same point, as the sanctified passions of this benevolent 
man ? Prelate the chief causes of thy satisfaction and thy 
displeasure, and I will tell thee, whether, like Demas, thou 
art a child of this present world, or a fellow-citizen of Hea- 
ven with St. Paul. * 



w 



TRAIT XXXI. 

His generous Fears and succeeding Consolations. 

r. 



HEN the church is threatened with a storm, the 
worldly pastor has no fears, except for himself and his rela- 
tions. But the true minister, if he is at all disquieted with 
fear, when the Lord's vessel is driven with the winds, or 
appears to be in danger through the indiscreet conduct of 
false or unloving brethren, he feels much less for his own 
safety, than for the security of his companions in tribulation. 
He tears especially for the weak of the dock, and for those 
of the faithful, who are exposed to violent temptation : and 
these generous fears, which equally prove his holy zeal and 
his brotherly love, without robbing him of all his joy, afford 
him frequent opportunities o^ exercising his faith, his resig- 
nation, and his hope . We were troubled, saith St. Paul, on 

every 

(f) 2 Cor. xiii. 9. (g) Phil. iv. 1. ii. 15, 16. 

* Have you move joy, when your preaching augments your in- 
come, than when you observe a wandering sheep conducted into the 
light way ? then conclude, that you preach more for mammon thaa 
for Christ. M. Rogues. 



TJTE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 135 

arery side; without were fightings, within wer$ fears* J fear 
lest, by criy mams, .eguiled Eve through Ms subtiL 

should be corrupted from the simplicity that is 
in If tar lest, n- hen 7 come, I shall not jind you such 

as I 'a). When we could no longer forbear, ice sent 

Timothy to establish you, and to comfort you concerning your 
'20 man should be moved, by tfiese afflictions : for your- 
selves know, thai we are appointed thereunto* For y verily, 
when :._-- were with you, we told you before, that we should- 
tribulation ; even as it came to pass. For this cause, 
bmger forbear, I sent to know your faith, lest 
.e means the ft / vr have tempted you, and our labor be 

Though the>e fightings without, and these fears within, 
are always painful to the flesh; yet they are as constantly 
beneficial to the soul. If they subject the true minister for 
a season to the keenest affliction, they prepare him in the 
end for strong consolation. Observe the manner, in which 
the great Apostle expresses himself upon this point — We 
would not, brethren, have you ignorant of our trouble, which 
came to us in Asia, that we were pressed out of measure, above 
strength, insomuch that we despaired even of life. We had the 
sentence of death in ourselves, that we should not trust in our- 
Si'hes, bid in God, which raiscth the dead ; who delivered us from 
so great a death, ctnd doth deliver : hi whom we trust, that lie 
will yet deliver us (c). / would ye should understand, brethren, 
that the things, which happened unto me, have fallen out leather 

lite furtherance of tlte Gospel ; so thai my bonds in Christ 
are f**H?iifest in all the palace, and Zn all other places ; and?nany 
of the brethren hi the Lord, waxing confident by my bonds, are 
rxiijh more bold to speak the word without fear (d). Hence, 
we ghry in tribulations: knowing that tribulation worketh pa- 
tience ; and patience, experience; and experience, hope: and 
hope makeih not ashamed, because the love of God is shed abroad 
in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost : unto us (e). 

Blessed be God, the Father of mercies, and the God of all com- 
fort, who comfort eth us in all our tribulation, that ice ma\ 
able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort 
wherewith we ourselves are coivforted of God. For as i 

N 2 feri 

fa) - Or, v ; i. 3, xi. 3. xii. 20. (b) 1 Thess. iii. 1 — ?, 
(c) > Cor. i. 8—10. (d) Phil. i. 12—14. (e) Rum. r. .-•: 



V.16 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

firings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also abound- 
tth by Christ (f). 

If those, who are honoured with a commission to pub- 
lish the Gospel, were., fully convinced how gracious and 
powerful a Master they serve, instead of being alarmed at 
the sight of those labours and dangers, which await them 
in the exercise of their ministry, they would stand prepared 
to run all hazards in his service ; as courageous soldiers, 
who fight under the eye of a generous prince, are ready to 
expose their lives for the augmentation of his glory. Can it 
become good pastors to manifest less concern for the salva- 
tion of their brethren, than mercenary warriors for the de- 
struction of their prince's foes ? And if the Romans generous- 
ly exposed themselves to death, in preserving the life of a 
fellow-citizen, for the trifling reward of a civic wreath ; 
hpw much greater magnanimity should a christian pastor 
discover, in rescuing the souls of his brethren from a state of 
perdition, for the glorious reward of a never-fading crawn ? 



TRAIT XXXII. 

The grand Subject of his glorying, and the evangelical Manner, 
in which he maintained his Superiority over false Jpostles. 



T, 



HE disposition of a faithful pastor is, in every respect, 
diametrically opposite to that of a worldly minister. If you 
observe the conversation of an ecclesiastic, who is influ- 
enced by the spirit of the world, you will hear him intimat- 
ing either that he has, or that he would not be sorry to have, 
the precedency among his brethren ; to live in a state of 
affluence and splendor, and to secure to himself such dis- 
tinguished appointments as would increase both his dignity 
and his income, without making any extraordinary addition 
lo his pastoral labors: you will find him anxious to be ad- 
mitted into the best companies, and occasionally forming 
parties for the chase, or some other vain amusement. While 
the true pastor cries out, in the self-renouncing language of 
the great Apostle ; God forbid, that I should glory, save in the 

cross 
(f) 2 Cor. i. 2—3. 



THE PORTRATT OF ST. PAUL. 137 

cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by ivhom the world is crucified 
wito me, and I unto the world (a). 

If the minister, who is really formed to preside in the 
church, was singled out from among his brethren, and 
placed in an Apostolic chair, he would become the more 
humble for his exaltation : — if such a one was slighted and 
vilified by false Apostles, he would not appeal for the honor 
of his character, to the superiority of his talents, his rank, 
or his mission ; but rather to the superiority of his labors, 
his dangers, and his sufferings. Thus, at least, St. Paul de- 
fended the dignity of his character against the unjust insinua- 
tions of his adversaries in the rnimstrv — Are the:; ministers of 
Christ f (1 speak as afoot) I anymore. But in what manner; 
did he attempt to prove this r Was it by saying, I have a 
richer benefice than the generality of ministers; I am a 
doctor, a professor of divinity, I bear the mitre, and dwell in 
an episcopal palace r No : instead of this, he used the fol- 
lowing apostolic language. In labors I am more abundant, 
in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequent, in deaths eft, 
Injourneyings often, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilder- 
ness, in perils in the sea, in perils by the heathen, m perils am 
false brethren: in weariness and painfulness, in watchhigs often, 
in faun rer and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and na.: . 
Besides those thing* that are ^without, thai which comeih upor. me 
daily, the care of all the churches. JVho is weak, and I am not 
weak ? who is offended, and I bum not ? If 1 must needs g 
I will glory in the things, ivhich concern mine infirmities (b)_. 
From henceforth let no man trouble me : for I bear in my c c . : 
the marks of the Lord Jesus (c). Such are the app^. 

of holy prelates. . But for a man to glory in having obtained 
a deanery, a professor's chair, or a bishoprick, is in reality 
to boast of his unfaithfulness to his vocation, and to prove 
himself unwortby-of the rank, to which he has. been inju- 
diciously raised. 

Ye, who preside over the household of God^ learn of the 
Apostle Paul, to manifest your real superiority. Surpass 
your inferiors in humility, in chanty, in zeal, in your painful 
labors for the salvation of sinners, in your invincible cou- 
rage to encounter those dangers, which threaten your bre- 
thren, and by your unwearied patience'* in bearing those 

N3 perse^ 

(a) Gal. vi. U. • (b) <2 Cor, xi. C3— 50. (c) Gal. vi. 17, . 



133 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

persecutions, which the faithful disciples of Christ are per- 
petually called to endure from a corrupt world. Thus shall 
vou honorably replace the first christian prelates, and hap- 
pily restore the church to its primitive dignity. 



TRAIT XXXIII. 

His Patience and Fortitude under the severest Trials. 

/^HAEITY is not easily provoked ; but, on the contrary, 
^thinketh no evil. Full of patience and meekness, Christ 
distinguished himself by his abundant love to those from 
whom he received the most cruel treatment. Thus also the 
ministers of Christ are distinguished, who, as they are more 
or less courageous and indefatigable in the work of the 
rnmistryj are enabled to adopt the following declaration of 
St* Paul with more or less propriety : Being reviled, we bless ; 
being persecuted, we suffer it ; being defamed, we entreat : wt 
are made as the filth of the world, and are as the off-scouring of 
all things unto this day (a). Giving no offence in anything, 
that the ministry be not blamed : but in all things approving our- 
selves, as the ministers of God in much patience, in afflictions, in 
necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, 
in labors, in xva-chings , in fastings, hy pureness, by knowledge, 
by long-suffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by leve tin- 
feigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God , by the armor 
of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, which en- 
ables us to attack error and vice, while it shields us from 
their assaults ; by honor and dishonor; by evil report and good 
report ; as deceivers, and yet true ; as unknown, and yet tveil- 
known; as dying, and behold, we live; as chastened, and not 
killed ; as sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making 
many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things (b). 

Far from being discouraged by the trials which befal 
him, the true minister is disposed, in such circumstances, to 
pray with the greater fervency; and according to the ardor 
and constancy of his prayers, such are the degrees of forti- 
tude and patience, to which he attains. We leave not receiv- 
ed, saith St. Paul, the spirit of bondage again to fear ; but we 

have 
(a) 1 Cor. iv. 12, 13. (b) 2 Cor. vi. 3, 10* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 130 

have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we ay, Abba, 
Father. The Spirit itself, amidst all our distresses, beareth 
witness with our spirit, that xve are the children of God. Like- 
wise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities. For we know net 
what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh 
intercession for us, ivith groanings which cannot be uttered (c). 
J besought the Lord thrice, that this trial might depart from me. 
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee : for my 
strength is made perfect in weakness. Therefore I take pleasure 
in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in 
distresses, for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I 
strong (d). / can do all things through Christ, which strength* 
pieth me (e). 

What an advantage, what an honor is it, to labor in the 
service of so gracious and powerful a Master ! By the 
power with which he controls the world, he overrules all 
things for good to them, that love him. Their most pungent 
sorrows are succeeded by peculiar consolations ; the re- 
proach of the cross prepares them for the honors of a crown ; 
and the flames in which they are sometimes seen to biaze, 
become like that chariot of fire, which conveyed Elijah 
triumphantly away from the fury of Jezebel. 

NOTE XXVI. 

Thou, God, hast tried us like as silver is tried, has been the langnaare 
of the faithful in every period of the church : / r whom the Lord toveth 
he chaste neth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. Of that ■ chastise" 
merit, whereof all the children of the Kingdom are partakers, M. de la 
Flecbere was not without a painful share. He had fellowship with 
Christ in his sufferings, and could bear ample testimony to the 
fatherly corrections of that righteous God, whose fire is in Sion, and 
his furnace in Jerusalem. His trials were of various kinds, frequently 
repeated, many times of long continuance, and, on some occasions, 
peculiarly severe. But from whatever quarter his trials arose ; whe- 
ther he suffered through bodily infirmity and pain, from the infidelity 
of false brethren, or from the despitefulness of open enemies, he- 
suffered as a man, unreservedly devoted to the will of God, regard- 
ing neither ease nor health, the consolations of social intercourse, 
nor the estimation of the world, but so far as they tended to promote, 
either the welfare of his brethren, or the glory of their common Lord. 

Three things were especially observable in his conduct, with 
respect to trials in general. First. He was careful never to plunge 
himself into difficulties through inadvertence and precipitation. Con- 
scious 

(c) Ram. viii. 15, 26. (d) 2 Cor. xii. 8, 10. ^e) Phil, iv, 13. 



140 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

scions that bis path was encompassed with innumerable danger? and 
snares, he proceeded in his course with the utmost wariness and 
circumspection,, deliberating on the tendency of «very expression, 
and weighing the probable consequences of every step. Without 
swerving to the one hand by intemperate zeal, or to the other by 
worldly compliance, be steadily persevered in the path of duty, endea- 
vour! ng to have always a conscieiice void of offence toward God and toward men, 

Seeondty. Wherever he saw a trial awaiting him in the order 
of providence, how terrific an aspect soever it might wear, he went 
on to meet it without the least indications of despondency or fear. 
He esteemed no difficulty too great to be surmounted, no cross too 
heavy to be endured, nor any enemy too strong to be opposed, in 
the way of God's appointment. Here he considered himself as 
under the immediate protection of the Almighty; and, knoivivg in 
whom he believed, he committed the keeping of his soul to him in ivell-dcirig, 
as unto a faithful Creator. 

Thirdly. He entered into the conflict under a lively impression 
of the trath of that apostolic declaration : Blessed is the man* thai en- 
dureth temptation ; for when he is tried, he shall receive the crozvn of life i 
This sentiment sustained him in the day of trouble, and produced in 
him a degree of fortitude proportioned to the severity of the trial. 
He could smile under the languors of disease, and the violence of 
pain, he could hear without emotion the reproaches of malice, and 
receive without resentment the shafts of ingratitude, counting it all 
joy, when he fell into divers temptations, and glorifying the Lord in the 
fiercest f res of affliction. But while he discovered an asto- 

nishing degree of firmness under the sharpest trials, he was a perfect. 
stranger to that stoical sullenness, which steels the heart against the 
attacks of adversity. His fortitude was sustained not by insensi- 
bility, but by patience and resignation. Through the most afflicting 
providential dispensations, his attention was fixed upon that wondrous 
example of patient suffering, which was exhibited in the High Pvie:-t 
of his profession: and if ever his sensibility constrained him to cry 
out, Father*, if it be possible, let -this- cup pass from me ; his resignation as 
constantly disposed him to add, neverilieles?, net my will, but thine he done. 
Such was the conduct of M* de la Fleehere with respect to trials of 
every kind. He never created them through imprudenee ; he never 
avoided them through timidity, he never endured them, but with an 
uncommon share of fortitude and patience: and it may be added, 
that he never experienced the removal of a trial, without thankfully 
ascribing his support under it, and his deliverance from it, to the 
gracious interference of that invisible arm, which is mighty to save. 

With such dispositions, it is not difficult to conceive that, like 
Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah, he held communion with the Son 
of God in the hottest furnace of affliction; or that, like Job, he came 
forth from the most grievous trials, as gold purified in the fire. The 
friends he has left behind him can joyfully testify, that he had learn- 
ed the happy art of glorying even in tribulations ; from a consciousness, 
that tribulation worketh patience, and patience, experience ; and experience, 
hope. Nay, taey sure further prepared to testify, that his hope was 

matured 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 141 

matured into the fullest assurance, when they recollect how be would 
frequently come forth from a state of keen distress, repeating the 
confidential exclamation of the great Apostle : Who shall separate us 
the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or pet sedition, or 
famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Nay, in all these things xxe. are 
^ ihan conquerors through him, that hath loved us. 



TRAIT XXXIV. 

His modest Firmness before Magistrates. 

OUPPORTED by a strong persuasion, that God and 
truth are on his side, the faithful minister is carried above 
a ! i those disheartening fears, which agitate the hearts of 
worldly pastors. Depending upon the truth of that solemn 
prediction; They will deliver you up to the council, and ye 
shall be brought before governors and kings for my sake, for a 
testimony against them and the gentiles ; he expects in times 
of persecution to appear before magistrates, and possibly 
before kings, for the cause of Christ and his Gospel. Nor 
is he afflicted at such a prospect. Relying on the promise 
of that compassionate Redeemer, who once appeared for 
him before Annas and Caiaphas, Herod and Pontius Pilate, 
without anxiously premeditating what he shall answer, and 
resting assured, that wisdom shall be given him in every 
time of need, he cries out with the holy determination of 
the Psalmist : / will speak of thy testimonies also before kings f 
and mil not be ashamed (a). 

When he is brought as a malefactor before the judge; 
while his accusers, actuated by malicious zeal, agree to say 
—We have found this man a pestilent fellow , a mover of sedi- 
tion among the people, and one of the ringleaders of a new 
and dangerous sect ; he justifies himself by answering— 
The witnesses, who appear against me this day, neither 
found me trampling under foot the authority of my superi- 
ors, nor sowing the seeds of sedition among the people; 
neither can they prove the things, whereof they now accuse me. 
But this I confess, that after the way, which they call heresy, 
*o worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things, which 

are 
fa) Psalm cxix. 46. 



1*2 THE PORTRAIT OF ST.FAUL. 

are written in the Law and the Prophets ; and have hope toward 
God, which they themselves allow, that there shall be a resurrect 
t ion of the dead, both of the just and unjust. And supposing 
his accusers are not only deists, but professors of the chris- 
tian faith, he will add : This also I confess, that in confor- 
mity to those principles, which pretended philosophers 
term superstitious, and which lukewarm christians call 
enthusiastic, I believe, not only in God the Father Almighty, 
but also in Jesus Christ his only Son, whom I acknowledge 
to be King of Kings, and Lord of Lords ; and who, after 
having suffered for our sins, rose again for our justification. 
Further, I joyfully subscribe to that confession of faith, which 
is frequently in your own mouths — I believe in the Holy Ghost, 
who regenerates and sanctifies every true member of the 
holy catholic church : and I participate with those members 
the common advantages of our most holy faith, which are an 
humble consciousness of the forgiveness of sins, a lively hope 
of the resurrection of the body, and a sweet anticipation of 
everlasting life. And herein do I exercise myself, to have 
always a conscience void of offence toward God and toivard 
men (b). If his judge, already prejudiced against 

him, should unbecomingly join issue with his accusers, and 
charge him with extravagance and fanaticism ; he will an- 
swer after St. Paul, with all due respect, I am not mad: but 
Speak 'forth the words of truth and soberness. And I would to 
God, that not only thou, but also all ivho hear me this day were 
altogether such as I am, except these bonds (e). 

After a pastor has had experience of these difficult trials^ 
he is then in a situation to confirm younger ministers in the 
manner of St. Paul—/ know, who?n I have believed ; and I am 
]Krsuaded, that he is able to keep, that which I have conmiitted 
unto hinii against that day. At my first ansivcr, no man stood 
with me ; but all men forsook me : notwithstanding, the Lord 
stood with me, and strengthened \me\; that by me the preaching 
might be fully known, and that all the gentiles might hear the 
Gospel : and J was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. And 
the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will pre- 
serve me unto his Heavenly Kingdom : to ivhom be glory for 
ever and ever (d). 

Behold 

(b) Acts xxiv. 5, 16. (c) Acts xxvi. 24, 29«. 

(d)2Tim. I J 2. iv. 1(3, 18. 



Th'E PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 143 

Behold the inconveniences and dangers, to which not 
only christian payors, but all, who follow la:- steps pf the 
Apostle Paul, will be exposed in every place, where the 
bigoted or the incredulous occupy the first posts in church or 

:- ! And whether we are called to endure torments, or 

in the cause of iru h, let us endeavour 

to support 1 gs that shall tail to our lot, with that 

resolution and meekness, of which St. Paul and his adorable 

Master have left us such memorable examples. 



TRAIT XXXV. 

His Courage in consoling his persecuted Brethren. 

JL ERSUADED, that all who wiU live godly m Christ Jesus, 
and particularly his ministers, shall suffer persecution :V, the 

good pastor looks for opposition from every quarter ; and 

enever he suffers for the testimony he bears to the truths 

of the Gospel, he suffers not only with resolution, but with 

The more the God of this degenerate world exalts him- 
self in opposition to truth, the more he disposes everv sincere 
head for uhe reception of it. The Gospel is that everlast- 
ing rock, upon which the church is funded, and against 
which the gates of Hell can never prevail ; and though this 
rock is assa-led hy innumerable hosts of visible and invisible 
enemies, yet their repeated assaults serve only to demon- 
strate, with increasing certainty, its unshaken firmness and 
absolute impenetrabiiitv. A clear sight of the sozerc^-: 
good, as presented to u> in the Gospel, is sufficient to make 
it universally desirable. The vail of inattention, however, 
conceals in a great measure :ood, and the mists 

of prejudice entirelv obscure it. But by the inhuman con- 
duct of the persecutors of Christianity , their false accusations, 
their secret plots, and their unexampled cruelty, these mists 
are frequently dissipated, and these vails rent in twain from 
the top to the bottom. Error is by these means unwittingly 
exposed to the view of the worla 5 while every impartial 

)2Tim ; » 12. 



144 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

observer, attracted by the charms of persecuted truth, exv 
amines into its nature, acknowledges its excellence, and at 
length triumphs in the possession of that inestimable pearl, 
which he once despised. Thus the tears of the faith- 

ful and the blood of confessors have been generally found to 
scatter and nourish the seed of the Kingdom. 

Ye zealous defenders of truth ! let not the severest per- 
secutions alarm your apprehension or weaken your confi- 
dence ; since every trial of this kind must necessarily ter* 
minate in your own advantage, as well as in the establishment 
and glory of the christian faith. Error, always accom- 
panied with contradictions, and big with absurd conse- 
quences, will shortly appear to be supported by no other 
prop, than that of prejudice or passion, or the despotism of a 
usurped authority, which renders itself odious by the very 
means employed for its support. The more the partisans of 
every false doctrine sound the alarm against you, the more 
they resemble a violent multitude opposing the efforts of a 
few, who are laboring to extinguish the hre, that consumes 
their neighbours 5 habitations : the different conduct of the 
one and the other must, sooner or later, manifest the incen- 
diaries. Error may be compared to a vessel of 
clay, and truth to a vase of massy gold. In vain is calumny 
endeavouring to render the truth contemptible by overheap- 
ing it with every thing that is abominable ; in vain would 
prejudice give error an amiable appearance by artfully con- 
cealing its defects : for, whenever the hand of persecution 
shall furiously hurl the latter against the former, the solid 
gold will sustain the shock unhurt, while the varnished clay 
shall be dashed in pieces. The experience, however, of 
seventeen ages has not been sufficient to demonstrate to 
persecutors a truth so evident ; nor are there wanting 
inexperienced believers in the church, who are ready to 
call it in question, and who, when persecution ariseih because 
of the word, are unhappily observed to lose their christian 
resolution. But, ivhy do the heathen rage and the people 
imagine a rain thing, the kings of the earth stand up, and the 
rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his 
anointed ? He, that dwelkth in Heaven, shall laugh than to 
scorn, and make their malice serve to the accomplishment 
of his great designs (b). 

Thus 
(b) Psalm ii. 1 — 4. 



THE PORTRAIT 7 ST. PAUL. 1 U 

Thus the jews, in. crucify : ng Ckm SdHbifeed to lay- 

grand foundation christian c , and a* 

wards by persecuting the Apostle Paul to death, gave 
an opportunity oi bearing; the torch of truth to Rome, and 
even into ihe palaces of its emperors. ?.rA ii was front 
Rome itself, as from the jaws of a devouring lioa, that he 
coin for ted the faunhul, who were ready to faint at 
afflictions, and ecco,< raged them to act in conformity to 
us vocation. / sr' ok as a~ mr 9 evz-i 

1 ofGm is noi - Tfevefanri &* 

dart ail tJunzsfor tlte ckci's wfe* i t tgah&4BKi\ 
salvation y which is in Christ -A-.. •. /. It u m 

ffef, ne del! L-. 
i, he ak i • . n Lt not thai ■:. 

ur LonL t be thou. 

the §jflU , accorJ^nz is Vic pswar 

o~ G c.c:cv.i,ry to h:s &wn papowi ard 

.vci us m i t u.% nho liuth dtuiidmi 

deatl atey to r.izk the 

Gosj)cl : ^[crcH/ito I cr.i appointed -~ 4postk t 

vckifhcausel E ^T 5 » ?;: ' s '» I &% 

.. med. Thou, therefore, tndurc hardness, as a good soldier 

of ■-' . 

Happy is the \m at Chri-t amid ah 

severe : . . es to which he is sometime- exposed ! 

I OA. every side, yet he is rrA :;. ; though per. 

\ir ; though p.rscCi-icd, y&.not f/xtauhm; 

..gti ouit :i;-n, \ rpysdL AU - .'-. \\ uleni auaoks 

'.'.. A ■ con : "hute to the honor of his 

:-., while their fl he gi^es double lasire to 

tne glorious cause, in which he , . 



TRAIT xxxvi. 

His humbk Cv ' s.cinq ffte Seah of his Ministr*. 

\ 

1 X. ¥M tX>R mu^t, sooner or later, convert shin 

he shvcerruy and earnestly cuih them to repcmt.mce toward 
r>, and iaini in our LoFd Je^us CruAt. Neverthc ; 

O (hoi 



146 TH"E PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

though fiHed with indignation against sin, with compassion 
toward the impenitent, and with gratitude to Christ, he 
should, like St. Paul, in proportion to his strength, wrestle 
with God by prayer, with sinners by exhortation, and 
with the flesh by abstinence ; yet even then, as much un- 
equal to that Apostle, as he was unequal to his Master, he 
may reasonably despair of frequently beholding the happy 
effects of his evangelical labors. But, if he cannot adopt 
the following apostolic language : Thanks be unto God, who 
always causcth us to triumph in Christ, and makeih manifest the 
savour of his knowledge by us in every place ; he will, at least; 
be able to say in his little sphere — We are unto God a sweet 
savour of Christ, in them thai are saved, and in them that perish : 
to the one, we are the savour of death unto death; and to the 
other, the savour of life unto life (a). If he has not, like St. 
Paul, planted new vines ; he is engaged, with Apollos, in 
watering those, which are already planted ; he is rooting up 
some withered cumberers of the ground, he is lopping off 
some unfruitful branches, and propping np those tender 
sprigs, which the tempest has beaten down. 

He would be the most unhappy of all faithful ministers, 
hadheaiot some in his congregation, to whom he might 
with propriety address himself in the following terras : Do 
we need epistles of conwiendaiion to you f Ye are manifestly de~ 
dared to he the epistle of Christ, ministered by us, ivriiien not 
with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God ; not in tables of 
stone, but in fleshly tables of the heart (b). Are not ye my ivotk 
in; the Lord ? If J be not an Apostle unto others, yet doubtless I 
am to you : for the seal of mine ApostlesMp are ye in the Lord. 
For though ye have ten thousand instructors in Christ, yet have ye 
not many fathers : for in Christ Jesus have J begotten you. 
through the Gospel (c). 

When a minister of [he Gospel, after laboring for several 
years in the same place, is unacquainted with any of his 
ilock, to whom he might modestly hold the preceding lan- 
guage ; it is to be feared, that he has labored too much like 
the generality of pastors in the present Oay : since the word 
of God, when delivered with earnestness and without adul- 
teration, 26 % usually epiick and poivcrful, and shatper than any 
tvjo -edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul 

and 

(?) 2 Cor, a. H— 16, (b) 8 Cor. hi. 1—3. (c) 1 Cor. ix. 2. iv. 16. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 147 

and spirit, and of the joints and marrow (d). He that haf 
word, let kim speak my word faithfully : what is the chaff to the 
wheat ? saith the Lord, Is not my word like a fire ; and L 
hammer, that breaketh the rock in pieces ? Behold I am against 
them, that cause my people to err by their lies and by their light- 
ness : therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the 
Lord (e). 

Those ministers, who are anxious so to preach, and so 
to conduct themselves, as neither to trouble the peace of the 
formal, nor to- alarm the fears of the impenitent, are un- 
doubtedly the persons peculiarly alluded to in the following 
solemn passage of Jeremiah V prophecy : Mine heart within 
me is broken, because of the prophets ; all my bones shake, because 
of the Lord, and because of the words of his holiness. For both 
prophet and priest are profane ; yea, in my house have I found 
their wickedness, saith the Lord. They walk in lies, either 
actually or doctrinally, they strengthen also the hands cf evil 
doers, that none doth return from his zvickedness. From the pro- 
phets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land^ 
They speak a vision of their oivn heart, and not out of the mouth 
of the Lord- They say unto them, that secretly despise me, The 
Lord hath said, ye shall have peace : and they say unto every 
one, that walketh after tlie imagination of his own heart, No evd 
shall come upon you. J have not sent these prophets, yet they 
ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But tf 
fhey had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear 
my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, 
and from the evil oftlieir doings (t ). 

Behold the reason, why nothing can so much afflict a 
faithful minister, as not to behold from time to time un- 
feigned conversions effected among the people, by means of 
his ministry. The husbandman, after having diligently 
prepared and plentifully sowed his fields, is sensibly airlict- 
ed, when he sees the hopes of his harvest ail swept awav at 
once by a furious storm : but he feels not so lively a sorrow 
as the charitable pastor, who, after having liberally scatter- 
ed around him the seeds of wisdom and pietv, beholds his 
parish overrun with the noxious weeds of vanity and vice. 
If Nabalsare still intoxicated ; if Cains are still implacable; 
if Ananiases are still deceitful, and Sapphiras still prepared 

2 to 

{&) Bleb. iv. 12. (e) Jer, xxiii. 23—32. (f ) Jer, xxiii, 2—^. 



JS8 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

to favor their deceit : if Marthas are still cumbered with 
earthly cares : if Dinahs are still exposing themselves to 
temptation, eve,, to the detriment of their honor, and to the 
loss of that Hide reli h, which they once discovered tor 
pieiy ; and if the formal still continue to approach God 
with their lips, while their hearts are far from him — a 
good pastor, at the sight of these things, is pierced through 
with many sorrows, and feels jf> £ degree, what Ehjah felt, 
when, overburdened with fatigue and chagrin, he sat doivn 
under a juniper tree, and s aid; It is enough ; noiv, Lord, 
talce aivay my life : for J am tiot better than my fathers (g). 

Indifference, in a matter of so great importance, is one 
of the surest marks by which an unworthy pastor may be 
discerned. Of what consequence is it to a worldly minister; 
whether the flock, about which he lakes so little trouble, i$ 
composed of sheep or goats? He seeks not so much to 
benefit hi people, as to discharge the more exterior duties 
<©f his office in such a way, as may not incur the censure of 
hh superiors in the church ; who, possibly, are not a whit 
less lukewarm than himself. And if a tolerable party of his 
ttneiean flock do but disguise themselves three or four times 
in a year, for the purpose of making their appearance at the 
sacramental table, he is perfectly satisfied with the good 
order of his parish ; especially, when the most detestable 
vices, such as extortion, theft, adultery, or murder, are not 
openly practised in it. This outward kind of de- 

cency, which is so satisfactory to the worldly minister, and 
which is ordinarily effected by the constraining force of the 
civil laws, rather than by the truths of the Gospel, affords 
the faithful pastor but little consolation. He is solicitous to 
see his people hungering and thirsting alter righteousness, 
working out their salvation with fear and trembling, and 
encaging in all tire duties of Christianity, with as much 
eagerness, as the children of tjie world pursue their shame- 
ful pleasures or trifling amusements : and, if he have not yet 
enjoyed this satisfaction, he humbles himself before God, 
asd anxiously enquires after the reason of so great an unhap- 
pines.?. He is conscious, that, if his ministry is not productive 
of good fruit, the sterility of the word must flow from one or 
Oliicr of the following causes — either he does not publish. 

the 

(g) 1 Kings six. 4* 



the r ::i: . :e : f sx> :,.vl. 

the Gospel in its h. 

cier Lj and fait . :.;;s he is 

not careful to second his zealous discourses :;■ an - : ■, 

conduct: perhaps he jentinimp] ring Lhe blessing 

ofG-:r : and private labors: or probably 

:onci a inveterate prejudice; ag;h 
i make i to bis most ex- 

so that, instead ol received among tl 

as-ador uf-Chfistj he can ..self the 

bis rej Easter : No pre 

ere he is accustomed to he 

Lv, If 

rs to be on his own si » endeavours to 

appl bedy/aiid efficacic as ies a redoubling 

» bis secret sup$ with 

jrvbe of spirit— Bet in after repeated 
; his want or succes 

- Lhe . aths : : 
e sbVeteigr his parish- 

be is [ben 
I in following the example of 'tis unerring Master 
I to exercise his ministry in I ere 

ad locked up the hearts :: tee people against the 
lion cf his evangelical precept:, 

e .en hen! 
:e in bow deplorable a state must he drag 
fs oh a useless lire ! If every sin- 
cere .n is read? to take up nis cross, to a. .it friends 

-:.:. on account of the 

pel ; can we consider that minister as a mai xWf 

: service ct Christ, w] t re^olut 

..• e up a hcune, a gai 3 salary, when 

soul and tite interest: . rch 

require such a sacrifice ? 

en a preach the Gos .nets iess upon the 

the rei u:e- 

• e not reasonably cc 

E earn, rather thane: ft. Paul : And j 

of Lhe Lord, c: to re- 
O 3 



150 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

cite the words of his covenant (h) ; attempting to publish, 
before he effectually believes, the truths of the Gospel } 
And has he not a front of brass, when, with the dispositions 
of a Demas, he mounts the pulpit, to celebrate the bounty 
of that God, who supplies the little wants of sparrows, who 
feeds the young ravens that call upon him, opening his hand 
and filling all things living with pknteousness f Let such a one 
consider, that the character of a virtuous preceptor, or an 
honest tradesman, is abundantly more honorable than that 
of a mercenary priest. 

In general, it may be reasonably supposed, that, if a 
pastor faithfully exercises his ministry in any place, to 
which he has been appointed by the providence of God, he 
will either benefit those among whom he is called to labor, 
or his hardened hearers will, at length, unite to drive him 
from among them, as the inhabitants of Nazareth forced 
jesus away from their ungrateful city. Or if he should not 
be forcibly removed from his post, as was the case of our 
Lord in the country of the Gadarenes ; yet, believing it in- 
cumbent upon him to retire from such a part, he will seek 
out some other place in his Master's vineyard, that shall 
better repay the pains of cultivation ; whatever such a re- 
moval may cost him in the judgment of the world. And, 
indeed, such a mode of conduct was positively prescribed 
by our Lord to his first ministers, in the following solemn 
charge : into whatsoever city or town ye shall enter, enquire 
v.mo in it is worthy, jfyid whosoever shall not irceive you, nor 
hear your word; when, slighted and reproached by its zm- 
worthy inhabitants, ye are constrained to depart out of thai 
house or city, shake off the dust of your feet, as a testimony 
against those, who prefer the maxims of the world before the 
precepts of the Gospel (i). 

If any pastor refuses to adopt this method of proceedings 
after patience has had its perfect work ; if he still fears to 
give up an establishment, as the sons in law of Lot were 
afraid of forsaking their possessions in Sodom, he then acts 
in direct opposition to the command of Christ; he obsti- 
nate! v occupies the place of a minister, against whom, very 
probably, less prejudice might be entertained, and whose 
ministry, of consequence, would be more likely to produce 

some 
(b) Psalm 1. 16, (i) Matt. x. 11, 14, 



THE PORTRAIT OP ST. PAUt, 151 

some salutary effect; he loses his time in casting pearls 
before swine ; and, instead of converting his parishioners, 
he only aggravates the condemnation due to their obduracy. 

The faithful pastor, however, is not sooir discouraged ; 
though he beholds no beneficial consequences of his minis- 
try. His unbounded charity suffers, hopes, and labors 
long, without fainting. The more sterile the soil appears 
which he is called to cultivate, the more he waters it, both 
with his tears and with the sweat of his brow j the more he 
implores for it the deiv of Heaven x and the influences of that 
divine Sun, which spreads light and life through every part 
of the church. It is not, therefore, (let it be repeated) till 
after patience has had its perfect work, that a conscientious 
minister takes the final resolution of quitting his post, in 
order to seek out some other situation, in which his labors 
may be attended with greater profit* 



trait xxxvn. 

His Readiness to- seal 'with his Blood the Truths of the Gospel, 



H 



E, who is not yet prepared to die for his Lord, has not 
yet received that perfect love, which casteth out four : and it 
is a matter of doubt, whether any preacher is worthy to ap- 
pear m a pulpit, whose confidence in the truths of the 
Gospel is not strong enough to dispose him, in certain situ- 
ations, to seal those truths with his blood. If he really 
shrinks from the idea of dying in the cause of Christianity, is 
it for him to publish a Saviour, who is the resurrection and the 
life ? And may he not be said to play with his conscience, 
his auditors, and his God, if, while he is the slave of sin and 
fear, lie presents himself as a witness bftiie salvation of that 
omnipotent Redeemer, who, through death, has destroyed him 
that had the power of death ; and who, by his resurrection, 
has delivered than, a ho, through fear of death, were all their 
life- time subject to bondage (a) ? Love, in the lan- 

guage of Solomon, is strong as death : but the nue minister 
glows with that fervent love to Christ and his brethren, 

which 
(a)Heb.ii. H, 15. 



15% THE PORTRAIT OP ST. PAUfc. 

which is abundantly stronger than those fears of death* 
which would prevent him, in limes of persecution, from the 
faithful discharge of his ministerial functions. Such was the 
love of St. Paul, when he cried out to those, who would 
have dissuaded him from the dangerous path of duty : What, 
mean ye to weep, and to break mine heart? for I am ready not 
to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name of 
the Lord Jesus (b). And now, behold, I go bound in the spirit 
unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things, that shall befalnie there:, 
save that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city t saying, that 
bonds and afflictions abide me. But none of these things move 
me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so thai I may finish 
my course with joy, and the ministry, which I itdve received of 
the Lord Jesus (c). For I know, thai this shall turn to my sal- 
vation, through your prayer , and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus 
Christ : according to my earnest expectation^ that. Christ shall be. 
?nagnified in my body, whether it he by life or by death. For me 
^o live is Christ, and to die is gain. And if 1 be offered upon 
the sacrifice and service of i/our faith, I joy and rejoice with you* 
all (d). 

Thus The good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep : but he- 
that is an hireling, and not the shepherd, seeth the ivoff co7tiing, 
and leaveth the sheep, andfieeth ; and the wolfcatcheth them, and 
scattereth the sheep (e), Happy is that church, whose pas- 
tor is prepared to tread in the steps of the great Shepherd and, 
Bishop of souls! St. Paul would not have been ashamed to 
acknowledge such a one as his companion and fellow- 
laborer in the work of the Lord.. 



TRAIT XXXVIII. 

The sweet Suspense of his Choice between Life and Death* 

VV HATEVER desire the faithful pastor may have to he 
with Christ, and to rest from his labors ; yet he endures, 
with joy his separation from the person of his Saviour, 
through the sacred pleasure he experiences in the service of 
his members. The sweet equilibrium, in which his desire 

was 
(b> Acts xxi. 13, (c) Acts xx. 22—24. (d) Pfrl. L 19—21. ii. 17. 

(e) Johnx. 11, 12. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL- 753 

was suspended between life and death, is thus expressed by 
the Apostle Paul : Wis know, that, if our earthly house of this 
tabernacle were dissolved, wt have a building of God, an house 
not ma Ac with hands, eternal in the Heavens. Fur in this y& 
groan earnestly; desiring to be clothed upon with our house, 
ivhich isfro?n Heaven: knowing that, wh list ice are at ko/ne in 
the body, we are absent from tlie Lord (a). Yet what I shall 
choose, I wot not* For I am in a strait betwixt two, having a 
desire to depart, and to be with Christ; which is far better : 
nevertheless, to abide in the flesh is more ncexfulfor you. And, 
having this confidence, I hioiv, ih.U 1 shaii abide and continue 
ivith j/ou all, for your furtherance and fey offaiik (b). 

It is chiefly when believers have the unconquerable love 
of St. Paul, thai ail things work together for their good. Whe- 
ther they live, or whecner they die, every occurrence turns 
out a matter of' favor. If they live ; it i>, that they may support 
their companions in tribuiaiion, and insure to themselves a 
greater reward, by maintaining, for a longer season, the vie* 
torious fight of faith — if tiiey die ; it is that they may rest 
from their labors, and co.i.e to a more perfect enjoyment of 
their Master's presence. Blessed are the dead, tvJiich 

die in the Lord : they rest from their labors, r ind their works do 
follow them (c). And in the mean-time, blessed are the liv«* 
ing, who live in the Lord : tor they are honorably engaged 
in those important conflicts, which will daily add to their 
spiritual strength, and augment the brilliancy of their final 
triumph. 

NOTE XXVII. 

WHiLEM.de la Fiechere was zealously engaged in fighting *ta 
good fight of faith, he looked forward, with increasing desire, to the 
happy moment, when he should exchange the weapons of war for the 
L';Qwnof glory. Not that he was dissatisfied with the duties of bis 
vocation, or wearied with the length of his services: but, heiii.u,' ex- 
ceedingly alhirst for Goi } as the hart pauteih after ike water brooks, to 
panted his soul after the more immediate preseac° of God. Though he 
was favored with the enjoyment of many inestimable blessing* by 
the way x yet he looked with unutterable longings to the' °nd o( his 
course ; knowing, that to be at home in the body, is to be absent fron\ 
the Lord. Though he experienced inexpressible dc light in the soci- 
ety of such as worshipped in the outer courts of the Lord's house ; sjid 
he saw it infinitely more desirable;, to associate with the spirits of just 

men 

(a) 2 Cor. v. 1—6, (b) Phil. \ t 22—23. (c) Rev. xir. 13, 



.154 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

men made perfect, in the inner places of his invisible temple. And 
though he was, at times, permitted a momentary glimpse of heavenly 
mysteries; yet he earnestly desired, that, mortality being swallowed ap 
of life, he might behold with open-face the glory of tlte Lord, This 

desire, which accompanied' him through every state, was expressed 
with a more than ordinary degree of fervor in seasons of weakness 
and disease. In these solemn intervals, when he appeared to he 
speedily advancing toward the confines of eternity, he rejoiced as a 
weary traveller within sight of his home. His immortal prospects 
became more enlarged and transporting, his conversation was cor- 
respondent to the grandeur of his views, and his whole appearance 
was that of a mat), already clothed in the wedding garment, and has- 
tening to sit down at the marriage supper of the Lamb, There was 
something in his deportment upon these awful occasions, which re- 
minded me of the transfiguration of his Master upon mount Tabor- 
While .Moses and Efias were conversing with the blessed Jesus on his 
approaching decease, the fashion of his countenance was altered, and his 
raiment became zthite and glistering : so, while the harbingers of death 
were apparently completing their work on the emaciated frame of 
this holy man, his silent meditations have been frequently accompa- 
nied with so much visible delight, such an extatic glow has diffused 
itself over his whole eountenanee, and his eye has been directed up- 
wards with a look of such inexpressible sweetness; that one would 
almost have supposed him, at such seasons, conversing with Angelical 
spirits on his approaching dissolution, and the glory that should follow. 

But, notwithstanding the intimate views he enjoyed of a happy 
immortality, and the intense desire he expressed to be with Christ, 
when he considered the importance of his charge, and the probabi- 
lity of being rendered further serviceable to the church, chanty to- 
ward his companions in tribulation gave birth to a new desire, and 
kept him in a state of sweet suspense between the labors of grace and 
the rewards of glory* It was in such a state,, that he took an 

affecting leave of his people at Madeley in the year 1776, when his 
disorder had increased upon him to so alarming a degree, that the pos- 
sibility of his recovery was universally doubted. He delivered a dis» 
course, upon that occasion, from those pertinent words of St. Paul : 
Wiwt I shall choose, 1 wot not. For I am in a strait betwixt two, hav- 
ing a desire to depart and to be zv'dh Christ ; which is far better : never iheless r 
to abide in thejlcsh is more needful for you. In the course of this sermon, 
he adverted,, in the most pathetic terms, to the painful situation, in 
which he then presented himself to his bearers; so debilitated by dis- 
ease, that he was unable any longer to discharge among them the 
public duties of his ministerial station. From his present weakness, 
be looked back to ids past labors, making many affecting, reflections 
upon his own un worthiness, the indubitable testimonies he had re- 
eeived of his people's unfeigned affection, and the unusual success of 
his ministry among them. Here be enlarged upon the two leading 
desires- of his soul. On the one hand, he made a solemn declaration 
<>f the earnest longing,, with which he desired to be absent from the. 
body, that he might be preterit with the Lo"d: and, on the other, he' 
expressed a more than parental attachment to his people y an attach- 

iaent*. 



THE POPvTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 155 

nient, which excited in him a wish, that he might still be permitted 
to tabor for their furtherance and establishment in the faith of the 
Gospel. But, what to choose, he knew not ; nor was his present sus- 
|>eustj attended with any degree of anxiety ; since be foresaw unques- 
tionable blessings awaiting him on either hand. He saw the balance 
poi>ed by uuentng wisdom, and was cheerfully content to wait the 
issue with one uninterrupted request; that, whether he lived, he might 
lipe unto the Lord, or whether he died, he might die unto the Lord; that 
whether living or dying he might be the Lord's, 

Such was the sweet suspense, which this man of God experienced, 
between a state of labor and a state of rest, which continued for more 
than two yea;*; and which was at last happily determined ia favor 
of his people, who were permitted the enjoyment of bis ministry for 
a long season after this period, rejoicing in the goodness of the Lord, 
atid abuudautly profiting by the labors of his invigorated servant. 



TRAIT XXXIX. 

The Constancy of his Zeal and Diligence to ike End of his Course, 



L 



[TYING or dying, the faithful servant of Christ never 
acts unworthy of his character. Blameless and harmless in 
the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, a child of God,, 
without rebuke, he shines, to the end of his course, as a tight in 
the uorid (a). He beholds death, whether it be 

natural or violent, always without fear, and generally with 
pleasure, regarding it as a messenger appointed for his safe 
conduct into that glorious state, where they rejoice together, 
v\ho have continued faithful to the end. He is anxious 
onlv, that his Lord rnav find him occupied in the ^rand 
business, he was commissioned to perform : and the rearer 
his hour approaches, the more earnest he is, that he may 
finish his ministry with joy. If he is no longer able .to ex- 
hort the brethren in person, he writes to them in the manner 
of St. Peter : / wiU not be negligent to put you always in re- 
membrance of these things, the doctrines, precepts, threaten-' 
b\g$$ aiid promises of the Gospel, though ye ' know them, and 
be established in the present truth. Yea, 1 think it meet, as long 
as f am in this tabernacle, to stir you up, by putting you in rc- 
inembrance ; knotting, that shortly I must put off this taber- 
nacle, t&eti as our Lord Jesus Christ hath shewed ?ne [b). He 

desires 
(?) Phil ifc 15. ' (b) 2 Pet. i. 12— U. ' 



156 THE PORTRAIT OF ST.. PAUL. 

desires at such a season, to address the faithful, and especi- 
ally young ministers, as St. Paul addressed ihe Corinthians 
and Timothy : My beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmove* 
able, always abounding in the work of ffc Lord ; forasmuch as 
yt'know, that your tabor is not in vain in the Lord (c). Thou, 
Timothy, hast fully known my doctrine, manner of life, purpose, 
faith, long- suffering, charity, patience, persecutions, afflictions, 
which came unto me at Antioch, ut Iconvum, at Lystra ; what 
persecutions L endured : but out of them alt the Lord delivered 
me. Yea, and all, thui will live godly in Christ Jesus, shtdl 
s'ujjfer persecrrtion. But watch tfivu in nil things, endure afflic- 
tions, do (he work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy 
ministry ; for I am now ready to be offered, mid the time of my 
departure is at hand (d) ' 

Thus triumphantly St. P*«l advanced toward the end of 
his course. \ And thus the faithful minister, pouring fresh 
oil into his lamp as^ the night advances, goes forth to meet 
his approaching God, whom his faith already considers as a 
faithful Judge, and his hope as a munificent Rewarder. 

NOTE XXVIII. 

It is no unusual thing, to behold the professors of Christianity di- 
vested, at a maturer age, of that burning love and that irresistible 
zeal, by which they were peculiarly distinguished in early life. Of 
the many thousands who have in every age begun the sacred race 
with an apparent determination to obtain the prize ; the greater part, 
either wearied with the inconveniences of the way, ur deluded by the 
suggestions of ihe world, if "they have not altogether forsaken the 
pafft of life, have proceeded in it with so much irresohrtion and weak- 
ness, that, at the conclusion of their course, it has remained a matter of 
much uncertainty, whether they have reaohed, or fallen short of, the 
mark of their high calling. With M. de la Flechere it was wholly the 
reverse. The resolution, that at first engaged him to enter upon the 
christian course, appeared, not only without any diminution, but with 
increasing vigor, through the sever*! stages of his rapid progress. We 
outran the most zealous of his companions, he oreneok many who 
were steadily perseveiing in it l c path of iifi>, and appeared at the head 
of those, who were pi casing alter the highest attainable states of 
sanctity and grace. From the commencement, to the conclusion of 
his pilgrimage, there was never once perceived in him the least 
imaginable tendency to a ioiteiing or lukewarm disposition : if he 
was not every moment actually upon the stretch afrer spiritual im- 
provement, lie was observed, at least, with hisloivs girded, his shoes cm 
/asfi'ct, <ixid his staff 'in his hand. The fervor of his spirit was a-silent but 

sharp 

(a) 1 Cox\ xv.SP. (d}£ Tim. iii. 10— 12. iv, 5,<3. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAtTL. ' I' 57 

sharp reproof to the negligent and unfaithful : and so decided an 
enemy was he to every species of trifling, teat no man of a light or 
indolent spirit could possibly associate with him for any length of time. 

As he approached the end of his course, the graces he had kept in 
continual exercise, for so Ion:? a season, became more illustrious and 
powerful : his faith was more assured, his hope more lively, his cha- 
rity more abundant, his humility more profound, and his resignation 
more complete. Phnlcd, at an early age, in the house of the Lord, he 
Nourished in the courts of our God through oil the remaining years of his 
life, growins: up like a palm tree, and spreading abroad like a cedar in Le- 
banon : and if the fruit that he brought forth in his age was not more 
plenteous than, that, which he had produced in former years, (which 
was surely impossible) yet it was more happily matured, and more 
equally distributed among his luxuriant branches. To those, who 
were intimately conversant with him at this season, he appeared as a 
scholar of the highest attainments in the school of Christ; or, rather, 
as a regenerate spirit in his latest state of preparation for the Kingdom 
of God : and this extraordinary eminence in grace was discoverable 
in him, not from any nigh external professions of sanctity, but from 
that meekness of wisdom, that purity of conversation, and that ioz^!i;;css of 
mind, by which his whole carriage was uniformly distinguished. 

For some years before his decease, he expressed a continual de- 
sire, that his labors and life might be terminated together: and with 
respect to his resigned prayer in this matter, the assertion of the 
Psalmist was sti kingly verified — The Lord ivile f dji 'I the desire of the ?& 
that fear khn. Hi.-: zeal for the glory of God appeared wjth undimi- 
nished fervor, and nis -adigence in filling up the duties of his vocation 
continued with unabating vigor, till within, a few days of his removal 
into Abraham's bosom. Instead of out-living his 2eal and diligence 
in the best or cause.-, it may truly be said, that he fell an ho lorable 
niartyr to his indefatigable exertions in the service of the church ; 
since it was from the beds of the diseased and the dying, that he 
brought away .v'.th him the infectious distemper, which put so unex- 
pected a perjad to his labors. But even aiterthe symptoms of this 
disUmper had appeared sumciently alarmiug to awaken the appre- 
hensions ( us friends, the >vere unable, either to damp ids zeal, or 
to controul his activity: h declining sun was to set, not in abscuritv 
and confusion, but with that mid and steady lustre, which might- 
be*> ken something of its future glory. 

Onto-: sabbfUi day precevd.ig that, on which he entered into rest, 
I called upon him in the nnnning with an earnest request, that h.i 
would permit me, if not Iq take the whole of his duty on that day, at 
least to share \. with him. But this he -Quid by no means be prevailed 
upon to suffer, assuring me, wit}! an ah of hely confidence, which I 
shall never forget, that Gou would surrVieatly strengthen him to gj 
through the duties of the day, '<. is was aislast appearance in pub- 
lie; and seven: oIej : f i.-nds, *&« were present; upon this 
memorable occasion, vere affected, beyond all description, with the 
melancholv circumstances of th Jay, He opened tne readme ser- 
vice with apparent .treng 1 h ; but, oetore he had proceeded far in ir, 
hit countenance changed, his speech began to falter, and it was with 

P the 



ISrB THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

the utmost difficulty, that he could keep himself from fainlingr, 
Every eye was rivetted upon him, deep solicitude was painted in 
every face, and confused murmurs of distress ran through the whole 
congregation. In the midst of this affecting scene, Mrs. Fiechere 
was seen pressing through the crowd, and earnestly entreating her 
dying husband no longer to attempt, what appeared to be utteily 
impracticable. But he, as tho' conscious that he was engaged in his 
last public work, mildly refused to be entreated; and, struggling 
against an almost insupportable languor, constrained himself to con- 
tinue the service. In the course of his sermon, the idea of his 
weakness was almost lost in the freedom and energy, with which he 
delivered himself. Mercy was the subject of his discourse : and while 
he expatiated upon this glorious attribute of the Deity, its unsearch- 
able extent, its eternal duration, and its astonishing effects, he ap- 
peared to be carried above all the fears and feelings of mortality. 
There was something in his appearance and manner, that gave his 
word an irresistible influence upon this solemn occasion. An awful 
concern was awakened through the whole assembly, and every one's 
heart was uncommonly moved. Upon the hearts of his friends, in 
particular, a most affecting impression was made at this season : and 
what deepened that impression, was, the sad prese?itiment t they read 
in each others countenance, of their pastor's approaching dissolu- 
tion. The same affecting scene was renewed, with additional 
solemnity, at the altar; where his people beheld him offering up the 
last languid remains of a life, that had been lavishly spent in 
their service. In going through this last part of his duty, he was 
-exhausted again and again : but his spiritual vigor triumphed over 
his bodily weakness. After several times sinking upon the sacra- 
mental table, he still resumed his sacred work, and cheerfully 
distributed, with his dying hand, the love-memorials of his dying 
Lord. In the course of this concluding office, which he per- 
formed by means of the most astonishing exertions, he delivered 
many affectionate exhortations to his people; calling upon them, at 
intervals, to celebrate the mercy of God in short songs of adoration 
and praise. And now, having struggled through a service of near four 
hours continuance, he was supported, with blessings in his mouth, 
from the altar to his chamber; where he lay for some time in a swoon, 
and from whence he never walked into the world again. 

Such was the last ministerial labor of this unwearied pastor, who 
left behind him this, among many other proofs, that his zeal and di- 
ligence continued to the end of his days, undiminished by the pres- 
sure of disease, and unrestrained by the approaches of death. 



TRAIT XL. 

His triumphs over the evils of life, and the terrors of death. 

X KE living faith, that sustains a good pastor, or a believer 
in Christ, amid all the difficulties and afflictions of life, cau- 
ses 



THE ?cir, E>1 . ; :, FAVl. IJ>£ 

ses him more especially to triumph at I :h of de. 

though presents s. E\~i: 7 

i an humble confidence Hcsmrrectit . 

and the Lite, he frequently ex ince :: 

victories 

Paul : Thanks be unto God, ml irqth 

i?i Christ (a). Knotting that he, who raised up the Lord Jesus , 
. raise up us also by Jesus. 

ire fa int mat : faf : :sh t 

inward 7 day. For our . 

V.ch is but for amc ft Lsafar 

■ . -" 1 Thus, 

the fiery d 
» receive fl F 1 - 

angr e expects his last hoar without fear or 

impatience: c. ::.z the the place, the man- 

disposal of thai God, whose wisdom, g: jw- 

tr, are all illinium Hire him the victory. ¥ 

he is called by the pre God, in a chamber 

upon a scaffold, to tasie the bitter cup, of which his Master 

drank so deeply, he prepares himself to acco: 

ing Saviour; encouraged with a hope, that be shall not be 

tempted above his strength, and that, if he suffers a 

Jh the King or g'ory, he iha I 7,10 rise and reign toge- 
ther with him. 

At the fatal shaft is thrown, whether by acci- 

dent, by disease, or bv the hand of an executioner, h 
little consequence j the true christian, prepared for all 
eve: .0 the order of providence. He 

receives the mortal -blow, either with , resignation., 

with holyj:y. In ea<e, his soul is sweet! ;sen- 

gaged trom its earthly tab- bite be breathes End : 

supplicatory language of hap:. Simc .; Lord, warn lettest 
tori in peace, far mine eye 
1. But, in the secon^ ca>e the world m a 

crying out in the fullest assurance of 
faith — m ice of sight; a the 

L endure, a that is invisible; as 

etfcctoa 

P2 an 

: C:-.:. rt (b) 2, Cor. : .y. U-:~ 



160 THE PORTRAIT OF ST., PAUL. 

an open Heaven, I saw the Son of Man standing at the 
right hand of God, ready to save and glorify my soul. 
Or these iwo manners of holy dying, the most enviable 
appears to have heen the lot of St. Paul, if we may judge 
from the anticipated triumph he describes in several of his 
epistles, and particularly in the last he addressed to Timo- 
thy from Rome, where he received the crown of martyr- 
dom. J desire to depart and to be with Christ, for whom 
1 have suffered the feas of all tlungs, a?:d do count them but 
clung, that J may knoiv him, and the petver of his resurrection, 
and the fclloivship of Ms sufferings, being made conformable 
unto his death (c). / have fought a good fight, 1 have finished 
9?ii/ course, I have kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up 
for me a crown of rigldecumess^ which the Lord, the rigliteous 
Judge shall give me at that day : to whom be glory for ever and 
ever (d). Who shall separate us from tile love of Christ ? Shall 
tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or the sword ? Nay, in 
ell these things we are more than conquerors, through him, that 
loved us. For J am persuaded, that neither death, nor Ife, nor 
Angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor tilings present, nor 
things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other creature, 
fltall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in 
Christ Jesus (e). O death, where is thy sting f O grave, where 
is thy victory ? Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory 
tlirough our Lord Jesus Christ (f). 

Thus the great Apostle went forth to meet his last trial, 
counting it an honor to suffer in the cause of truth, and re- 
joicing in hope of the glory of God. The enemies of 
Christianity rendered him at last conformable to Christ in 
his death*: but, while they severed his head from his body, 
they uniied his happy spirit more intimately to that exalted 

Jesu$j 

(c) Phil, u 15. til 8—10. (d) 2 Tim, iv. 7, 8, 18. 

(e) Rom. t'iHu 35—39. (f) 1 Cor. xv. 55—57. 

* Tiaditinn informs us, that St. Paul, in the second journey He 
m .-t-e tti Rome, received the crown of martyrdom under the emperor 
Mere, about tbiity-five years after the crucifixion of our blessed Lord. 
St. Clement, the cotemporary of St. Pud, speaks of that Apostle in 
the following term..', hi his first epistle to the Corinthians. '« By 
means of jealousy, Paul has received the prize of perseverance. 
Having been seven times in bonds; baying been evil-entreated and 
htooed ; having preached in the east and in the west, he has obtained 
the glorious prize of his faith. After having instructed all the world 

ill 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. lol 

Jesus, who had once met him in the way, and who now 
was waiting to receive him, at the end of his course. 
Happy are the faithful, who, like this faithful Apostle, Jive 
unto the Lord ! yet happier they, who, like him, are enabled 
to die unto the Lord ! Their works do folloxv them, while they 
rest from their labors, and wait in peace the resurrection, 
and the sublime rewards of the righteous. 

NOTE xxix:. 

After having manifested so much resolution and constancy in 
fighting the good fight offa'th, it is no wonder, that M. de la Fiechere 
was permitted to finish kis course zvith j>y, and that the concluding 
scenes of his warfare were peculiarly triumphant and glorious-. 
Equally prepared for every event, he met his last great trial with aH 
that composure and steadiness, which had invariably distinguished 
him upon every former occasion of suffering. He entered the valley of 
the shadow ofdeaih 9 zs oue who feared no evil. He considered it as the 
high road to that incorruptible inheritance, which is reserved for the 
saints ; and, looking forward with a hope full of immortality, he saw, 
beyond its limited gloom, those everlasting hills of light and glory, to 
which his soul aspired.- A few days before his dissolution, he ap- 
peared to have reached that desirable poi-nt, where the last rapturous 
discoveries are made to the souls of dying saints. Roused, as it'were, 
with the shouts of angels, and kindled into rapture with visions of 
glory, he broke into a song of holy triumph, which began and ended 
with the praises of God's unfathomable love. He labored to declare 
the secret manifestations he enjoyed; but his sensations were too 
powerful for utterance : and after looking inexpressible things, he 
contented himself with calling upon all around him to celebrate and 
shout out that adorable love, which can never be ruHy comprehended or 
adequately expressed. This triumphant /fame of mind was not a 
transient feeling, but a state that he continued to enjoy, with little 
or no discernible interruption, to the moment of his death. While 
he possessed the power of speech, he spake as one whose lips had 
been touched with a live coal from the altar; and, when deprived of 
that power, his countenance discovered, that he was sweetly enga- 
ged in the contemplation of eternal things. On the day of 
his departure,. as 1 was preparing to attend my own church, which 
was at. the distance of nine miles from Madeley, I received a hasty 
message from Mrs. de la Fiechere, requesting my immediate attend- 
ance at the vicarage. I instantly followed the messenger, and found 
M. de la Fiechere with every symptom of approaching dissolution 
upon him. I had ever looked up to this man of God rcith an extraor- 
dinary degree of affection and reverence j and on this afflicting occa- 

P 3 sioa 

\n righteousness, coming into the we^t, he has suffered martyrdom 
under those, who command ; and thus quitting the world after having 
shewn iu it a great example ofpatien.ee, he is gone iato the holy 
place," 



162 THE PORTRAIT O*' ST. PAUL. 

Sion my heart was uncommonly affected and depressed. It was now 
in vain to recollect, that public duty required my presence in another 
place : unfitted for every duty, except that of silently watching the 
bed of death, i found it impossible to withdraw from the solemn 
Scene* to which 1 had been summoned. I had received from this 
evangelical teacher, in days that were past, many excellent precepts, 
with respect to holy living ; and now I desirfd to receive from him the 
last important lesson, with respect to holy dying. And truly this con- 
cluding lesson was of inestimable worth, since so much patience and 
resignation, so much peace and composure, were scarcely ever dis- 
covered in the same circumstances before — Let me die the death of the 
righteous, and let my last end be like his! 

While their pastor was breathing out his soul into the hands of a 
faithful Civa tor, his people were offering up their joint supplications 
on his behalf in the house of God. Little however was seen among 
them on that trying occasion, but affliction and tears. Indeed it was 
a day much to be remembered, for the many affecting testimonies of 
distress, which appeared On every side. The whole village wore an 
air of consternation and sadness, and not one joyful song was heard 
among its inhabitants — Hasty messengers were passing to and fro 
with anxious enquiries and confused reports — And the members of 
every family sat together in silence that day, awaiting, with tremb- 
ling expectation, the issue of every hour. After the conclusion of 
evening service, several of the poor, who came from distant parts, 
and who were usually entertained under M. de la Flechere's roof, still 
lingered about the house, and seemed unable to tear themselves 
away from the place, without a sight of their expiring pastor. Se» 
cietly informed of their desire, I obtained them the permission they 
wished. And the door of the chamber being set open, immediately 
before which M. de laFlecbere was silting upright in his bed, with the 
curtains undrawn, unaltered in his usual venerable appearance; they 
slowly moved, one by one, along the gallery, severally pausing as 
they passed by the door, and casting in a look of mingled supplication 
and anguish. It was, indeed, an affecting s^ht, to behold these un- 
feigned mourners successively presenting themselves before the bed 
of their dying benefactor, with an inexpressible eagerness in their 
looks, and then oragging themselves away from his presence, with a 
distressing consciousness, that they should see his face no more. 

And now the hour speedily approached, that was to put a solemn 
termination to our hopes and fears. His weakness very perceptibly 
incased, but. his countenance continued unaltered to the last. If 
there was any visible change in his feelings, he appeared more at ease 
and more sweetly composed, as the moment of hi* dismission drew 
MMBA Our eyes were r .vetted upon ! .m i: awful expectation. But, 
whatever we had feh before, no murmuring thongnt was suffered, at 
this interesting period, to^aiken the glories of this illu trions s'ene. 
AH was silenee — when the last angelic messenger sucdenly arrived, 
aivd perfoimeci his important commission with so much stillness and 
secrecy, tnat it was impossible to determine the exact moment of its 
*oiDjuJetiQfl. Mrs.-de la Elechere was kaeefcag by the side "of her 

departing 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 163 

departing husband ; one,* who had attended him with uncommon 
assiduity, during the last stages of his distemper, sat at his head ; 
while I sorrowfully waited near his feet. Uncertain, whether or not 
he was totally separated from us, we pressed nearer, and hung over 
the bed in the attitude of listening attention : his lips had ceased to 
move, and his head was gently sinking upon his bosom — we stretched 
out our hands j but his warfare zl-cis accomplished, and the happy spirit 
had taken its everlasting flight. 

Such was the undisturbed and triumphant death of this eminently 
holy and laborious pastor, who entered into rest on the evening of 
Sunday, August 14th, 1785. Blessed are the dead, who die in the 
Lord ! They -est from their painful labors, and are followed by* those 
exemplary works, which they considered as unworthy a place in their 
remembrance : they escape from the windy storm and tempest, and are 
brought to their di sired haven : they have a right to the tree of hfe, theij 
enter in through tie gates into the city, and stand u ith everlasting ac- 
ceptance in the presence of God. On Sunday the21>t, a public 
tribute of respect was paid to the memory of this great man, in a 
funeral sermon delivered in the parish church of Madeley, by the 
Reverend Thomas Hatton, Rector of Waters Upton, who, in speoking 
fiom Hebrews xiii. and 7, addressed a numerous and deepiy aflected 
auditory in terms peculiarly adapted to the solemnity of the occasion, 

* A gentleman of much worth, and of great professional ability, in the 
neighbourhood of Madeley. 



THE 



THE PORTRAIT OP 3T.PAITL. - \'65 

THE 

PORTRAIT 

or 

LUXEWA3R31 MINISTERS, 

AND 

FALSE APOSTLES. 



CHAP. I. 

The portrait of lukewarm ministers. 

JL HE essence of painting consists in a happy mixture of 
light and shade, from the contrast of which an admirable 
effect is produced, and the animated figure made to rise 
from the canvass. Upon this principle, we shall oppose to 
the portrait of St. Paul that of lukewarm ministers and false 
apostles, whose gloomy traits will form a background pecu- 
liarly adapted to set off the character of an evangelical 
pastor. 

If the primitive church was disturbed and misled by un- 
faithful ministers, it may be reasonably presumed, that, in 
this more degenerate period of its existence, the church of 
God must be miserably overrun with teachers of the same 
character. There is, however, no small number of mini- 
sters, who form a kind of medium between zealous pastors 
and false apostles. These irresolute evangelists are sincere 
to a certain point. They have some desire after the things 
of God ; but are abundantly more solicitous for the things 
of the world : they form good resolutions in the cause of 
their acknowledged Master; but are timid and unfaithful, 
when called upon actual service: they are sometimes actu- 
ated by a momentary zeal; but generally influenced by 
servile fear : they have no experience of that ardent affec. 

tion 



}G6 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

tion and that invincible courage* with which St. Paul was 
animated : their wisdom is still carnal (a) ; they still confer 
xvith flesh and blood (b). Such was Aaron, who yielded, 

through an unmanly weakness, to the impious solicitations 
of his people. Such was Jonah, when he refused to exer- 
cise his ministry at Nineveh. That this prophet was pos- 
sessed of a confidence in God, and a desire for the salvation 
of his fellow-creatures, we have every reason to believe : 
but we find, that neither the one, nor the other, was suffici- 
ently powerful to engage him in a service, which appeared 
li\e\y to endanger his reputation among men. Such were 
also the Apostles, before they were endued with power 
from on high. To every pastor of this character^ that 

expression of Christ, which was once addressed to the most 
courageous man among his disciples, may be considered as 
peculiarly applicable: Thou art an offence unto me, for thou 
savourest not the things that be of God; but those that be of 
men (c). 

Lukewarmness, false prudence, and timidity, are the 
chief characteristicks, by which ministers o; this class may be 
distinguished. Perceiving the excellence of the Gospel in 
an obscure point of view, and having little experience of its 
astonishing effects, they cannot possibly discover that reli- 
gious zeal, which is indispensibly necessary to the character 
they affect to sustain. 

The pious Bishop Massillon gives the following represen- 
tation of these unqualified teachers, and the ill effects of their 
unfaithfulness. " Manners are every day becoming more 
?' corrupt among us ; because the zeal of ministers is daily 
4t becoming colder, and because there are found among us 
** few apostolical men, who oppose themselves, as a brazen 
'?. wall, to the torrent of vice. For the most part, we be- 
4f hold the wicked altogether at ease in their sins, tor the 
t€ want of hearing more frequently those thundering voices, 
" which, accompanied wiih the Spirit of God, vvou ? d 
" effectually rouse them from their awful slumber. 
€< The want of zeal, so clearly discernible among pastors, 
" is chierly owing to that base timidity, which is not har y 
" enough to make a resolute stand against common i re u- 
" dice, and which regards the worthless approbation of 

"men 

(a) 2 Cor. i. 12. (b) Gal. i. 16. (c) Mat. xv .33, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 16T 

r * men, beyond their eternal interests. That must needs 
be a worldly and criminal consideration, which makes us 
more anxious for our own glory, than for the glory of God. 
That must truly be fleshly wisdom, which can represent 
religious zeal under the false ideas of excess, -indiscretion, 
" and temerity : a pretext this, which nearly extinguishes 
" every spark of zeal in the generality of ministers. This 
ci want of courage they honor with the specious names of 
" moderation and prudence. Under pretence of not car- 
" rying their zeal to an excess, they are content to be 
<4 entirely destitute of it. And while they are solicitous to 
ie shun the rocks of imprudence and precipitation, they run, 
" without fear, upon the sands of indolence and cowardice. 
* r ^hey desire to become useful to sinners, and, at the same 
" time, to be had in estimation by them. They long to 
'* manifest such a zeal, as the world is disposed to applaud. 
" They are anxious so to oppose the passions of men, that 
ic they may yet secure their praises ; so to condemn the 
" vices they love, that they may still be approved by those 
" they condemn. But, when we probe a wound to the 
fi bottom, we must expect to awaken a degree of peevish- 
s< ness in the patient, w we do not extort from him some 
tf bitter exclamation." 

ts Let us not deceive ourselves/* continues the same 
author ; " if that apostolical zeal, which once converted 
" the world, is become so rare among us, it is because, in 
e< the discharge o^ our sacred functions, we seek ourselves, 
" rather than the glory of Christ, and the salvation of souls. 
<6 Glory and infamy were regarded, by the Apostle, with 
(t equal indifference, while he filled up the duties of his im- 
*' portant office. He knew it impossible to please men, 
" and to save them ; to be the servant of the world, and 
u the servant of Christ. Nevertheless, there are many 
i€ among us, who are seeking to unite these different ser- 
f( vices, which the Apostle believed to be irreconcileable." 

Mons. Roques agrees with the pious Bishop in condemn- 
ing those ministers, who neglect to copy the example cf 
St. Paul. (i The little piety, that is to be found among 
*' ministers," says this excellent writer, " is the most effectual 
(f obstacle to the progress of the. Gospel. By pietv, I mean 
" that sincere and ardent love for religion, which deeply 

" interests 



16*8 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

€f interests a man in all its concerns, as well as in ever/ 
thing, that respects ihe glory of God, and of our Lord 
Jesus Christ. If this divine love was found reigning in 
the heans o$ those, who proclaim Christ; if every 
preacher of the Gospel was enabled to say, with the 
•' sincerity of Peter, Lord ! thou knoivest all things ; tlu>u 
€< knoivest that J love thee (d): thou know est, that I have no 
" amfeition but for thy glory ; and that my highest plea- 
*\ sure consists in beholding the increase of thy Kingdom— 
" we should then perceive the word ot God in their hands, 
€< like a two-edged sword, cutting asunder the very deep^ 
* r est roots of sin. But as the Gospel is preached more 
is through contention, through vain glory, and through the 
" desire of getting a livelihood by serving at the altar, than 
sf . through an ardent zeal to advance the glory of God; 
f( hence it is, that ministers fall into various errors, giving 
e€ evident proofs of that indolence and unconcern, which 
'* afford matter of scandal rather than of edification." (e) 

Mons. Ostervald speaks the same language in his Third 
source of the corruption, which reigns among christians. " A 

**■ great part of our ecclesiasticks," says this writer, (e may 
€( be justly charged with the corruption of the peopfe ; since 
" there are among them many, who oppose tha re-esta- 
ff hlishment of a holy discipline, while others render the 
" exercise of it totally useless, by an ill-timed softness, and 
" a shameful indulgence." 

" I except those," continues this venerable pastor, 
" who ought to be excepted. But, on a general view, in 
•* what do ecclesiashcks differ from other men ? Do they ' 
" distinguish themselves by an exemplary life? Their ex- ' 
" terior, indeed, is somewhat different : they lead a more 
fe retired We; they, in some degree, save appearances; 
t( though all do not go thus far. But, beyond this, are they 
" not equally attached to the world, as much engaged with 
u earthly things, a« wholly taken up with secular views, 
" as constantly actuated by interest and passion, as the 
* 1 generality of mankind ?" 

Christian prudence required, that these portraits of luke- 
warm ministers should be exhibited, as the designs of pastors, 
who have been eminent for their piety, their rank, and ex- 
perience ; 
(d) John xxi. 15, (e) Evangelical Pastor. 



THE PORTRAIT OK ST. PAUL. 169 

perience; and who, on that account, had a peculiar right 
to declare those truths, which might give greater offence, 
were they to come from less respectable persons, 



B 



CHAP. II. 

The Portrait of false Apostles. 



*ETVVEEN the state of careless ministers, and false apos- 
tles, there is not, in reality, so vast a difference, as many 
are apt to imagine. An unworthy laborer in the spiritual 
vineyard gives .speedy proofs of a lukewarm temper, in the 
service of his Lord ; shortly after, his heart becomes entire- 
ly cold with respect to piety ; and, what is still more lamen- 
table, he frequently manifests as warm a zeal for error and 
vice, as the true minister can possibly discover in the cause 
of truth and virtue. Such is the state of those, who may pro- 
perly be termed preachers of the third class, and who are 
spoken of by St. Paul under the title ol \ false apostles (a). 

These unworthy ministers are known by their works. 
Like many of St. Paul's unfaithful fellow-laborers (bj, they 
prefer the repose and pleasure of the world, belbrethe service 
and reproach of Christ. Like Judas and Simon die sorcerer, 
they love the honors and revenues of ministers, while tfaey 
abhor the crosses and labors of the ministry. Like Hophni 
and Phinehas, they are sons of Belial, and knoiv not the Lord. 
Their sin is very great before the Lord: for, on their account 
many abhor the offering of the Lord. (c). Like the wicked 
servant, described by their reputed Master, instead of pro- 
viding meat for his household in due season, they begin to snuie, 
or to persecute those of their fcllovj-servants, who are intent 
upon discharging their several duties ; while they pass away 
their time, in mirth and festivity with the riotous and the 
drunken (d). They may justly be compared to lamps extin- 
guished in the temple of God. ** Instead of shining there 
" to his praise," says Bishop Massillon, ff they emit black 
" clouds of smoke, which obscure every object about them, 
u and become a savour of death to those, who perkh. 

Q * They 

Ca}2 Cor* xu : \3. (h) 2 Tim. i.J5. [c)J Sam. ii. 12, 13. 
fell Matt xxlf. "16, \9. 



J"0 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

*' They are pillars of the sanctuary, which being over* 
" thrown and scattered in public places, become stones of 
(( stumbling to every heedless passenger. They are the 
te salt of the earth, and were appointed to preserve souls 
" from corruption ; but, having lost all their savour, thev 
" begin to corrupt what they were intended to preserve/* 
They are physicians, who carry to their patients infection 
instead of health. From the spiritually diseased, they with- 
hold the healing word of God (e), while they distribute 
among them the dangerous poison of a lax morality, setting 
before them an example of bitter zeal against the truth, 
puffing them up with that wisdom, which is earthly, sensual, 
and devilish (f). 

" A false pastor," says Mons. F.oques, or a false apo- 
stle, " is a minister whose heart is not right before God, 
* l and who lives not in such a manner as to edify his flock. 
" He knows the holy course of life, to which christians in 
" general, and ministers in particular, are called ; but, in 
ce spite of all his knowledge and his apparent zeal, he fears 
«* not to trample tinder foot those very maxims of the 
*l Gospel, which lie has publicly established and preached 
« with the utmost energy. Every day he performs acts of 
K< the most detestable hypccrisy. Every time he preaches 
c< and censures, he bears open testimony against his own 
€< conduct: but he publicly accuses, without ever intend- 
" ing to correct, himself. He is a constant declaimer 
« against vice, in the pulpit; but a peculiar protector of 
<( it, while he is engaged in the common concerns of life, 
" While he exhorts his hearers to repentance, he either 
<e imagines himself above those laws, which he proposes 
<e to others on the part of God; or he believes himself 
" under no other necessity of holding them forth, except 
" his known engagement to such a work, and the salary 
" he receives for the performance of it." 

Mons. Ostervald, in a work already referred to, makes 
rnention of these pastors in the following terms. " How 
" many do we see, who regard their holy vocation in no 
" other light, than the means of procuring for them a 
i( comfortable maintenance. Are there not many, who 
f 4 bring a scandal upon dieir profession, by the licentious* 

" ness 
(e) Psalm cvii, 20. (Q James iii. 14, 15. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL..- 171 

" ness of their manners ? Do we not see them hasty and 
H outrageous r Do we not observe in them an extreme 
M attachment to their own interests - Are they careful to 
" rule their families well r Has it not been a subject of com- 
" plaint, that they are puffed up with pride, and are Ln> 
" placable in their hatred b I sav nothing of many cJ.-jr 
" vices and defects, which are equally scanda.ous in the 
" clergy • such as vain and loose conversation, an attach- 
H ment to diversion and pleasure, a worldly disposition 
" slothfulness, craft, injustice, and slander." 

'• It is impossible to find a person/' adds Mons. Oster- 
vald, " surrounded with more powerful motives to piety, 
t( than a man, whose ordinary occupation is to meditate 
tl upon religious things, to discourse of them among other?, 

H to reprove vice and hypocrisy, to perform divine service, 
u to administer the holy sacraments, to visit the afflicted 
* ; and the dying; and who must one day render to God 
" an account of the souls- committed to his charge, I 
u know not, whether it be possible to find any stronger 
* marks of impiety and hypocrisy, than those, which may 
" be discovered in the cnaracter of a person, who, in the 
i{ midst or' all these favorable circumstances, is, neveithe. 
f i less, an unrighteous man.- Suih a one may be said to 
N divert himself with tne mo : t sacred things of religion, 
" and to spznd the whole ct his life m performing the part 
" of an impostor. And this he doe- to Lis cost ; since there 
" is no profession in the world, that will more effectually se- 
f* cure a sentence of condemnation, than that of the priest- 
f€ iiood, when exercised in so unraithful a manner." 

But it is' chiefly in the holy scriptures, where these on- 
worthy pastors are pourirayed in so strong a point of view, 
that every attentive enquirer may readily discern theiu 
distinguishing teatures. Son or' man, smith the Lord, 

prophesy a jarnst the shy Israel, and say unto th 

Ye eat the nit, and ye clothe ynt with the wool ; ye kill them, 
: are fed ; but ye feed not the flock, . The diseased have ye net 
strengthened; nei veye bound up thai, which wn& bn 

neither have ye brought again that, which was driven away ; 
iher have ye . which was lost : b::t with three and u 

: y haveyc ruled Therefore thus satfh the Lord God, 

Q ? .* 



H2 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

heltold I am against the shepherds: and I xvill require my flock at 
their hand (g). As Jannes and Jambres withstood Moses, 

so do these also insist the truth: men of corrupt minds, reprobate 
concerning the faith (h). Woe unto them; for they have gone in 
the way of Cain, and ran greedily after the error of Balaam for 
regard, and perished in the gain-saying of ' Koralu Clouds they 
are ivithout water, carried about of winds ; trees without fruit, 
twice dead, plucked up by the roots ; raging waves of the sea, 
joaming out their own shame ; wandering stars, to whom is re* 
served the blackness of darkness for ever (i). 

St. John has not only drawn the character, but has like- 
wise given us the name of' a certain tyrannical teacher, who 
feegaji to disturb the peace of the primitive church. I wrote 
zino the church, saith he to Gaius, concerning the reception 
of stranger evangelists; but Diotrephes, ivho loveih to have the 
fremwutiue among them, receivetli us not. If 1 come, 1 will 
ra, i-.i ruber his deeds, which he doeth, prating against us xvith ma- 
licious words : and not content therewith, neither doth he himself 
receive the brethren, and forbid deth than that would, and casteih 
them out of the church (k). Behold a striking description of 
proud and persecuting ecclesiasticks ! 

But, perhaps, the most complete description of these 
persons is given by our' Lord himself, where he treats of 
worthless pastors, in genera], under the particular names of 
scribes and pharisees. Here, a divine and impartial hand 
delineates the jealousy, the pride, the feigned morality, the 
malice, and the persecuting spirit, which characterize this 
class of men in every age of the world. Do not ye, saith 

Christ, after their works : for they say and do not. All their 
Works they do to be seen of men. They love the chief seats in the 
synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe unto you, hypo- 
crites ! for ye shut up the Kingdom of Heaven against men : ye 
neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them, that are entering, 
to go in. Ye neglect judgment, mercy, and faith. Ye outwardly 
appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy 
and iniejui/y. Because ye garnish the sqndchres of the righteous, 
ye vainly imagine yourselves free from a persecuting spirit; 
while, in other matters, as the children of them which killed 
the prophets, ye arc laboring to fill up the measure of your fa* 
then. Behold, 1 said unto you prophets and zealous preachers 

of 

(g) Ezek. xxxiv. 2—10. (h) 2 Tim. iii. 8. (i) Jude 11, 12, 
(k) John 3rd Epistle. 



TIi£-FOK TRAIT OF ST. PAUL. ITS 

of the word, and some of them ye shall kill, and some of them 
yh shall persecute from city to city (1). 

We need take but a cursory view of the new* testament, 
for sufficient proof, that these" worldly-minded scribes and 
these furious bigots above represented, were the very persons, 
who pursued the first evangelists with such deadly rancor* 
Nay, had it not been for Annas and Caiaphas, Herod and 
Pilate would silently have permitted the preaching of Jesus 
himself, . These, who are the chief men in the state, after 
refusing to embrace the word of God on their own part, 
would most probably have contented themselves, with de- 
nying its truths, and ridiculing its followers: but they would 
never have passed a sentence of death, upon persons of so 
admirable a character, as Christ and his forerunner, I 

The peculiar opposers of Jesus and his disciples, were 
powerfully influenced by jealous pride; and with the same 
malignant disposition every false apostle in the christian 
church is. deeply infected. The prelate, whose pen we 
have already borrowed, gives the following lively description 
of this unhappy temper, . ee This despicable jealousy 

" not only dishonours zeal, but supposes it extinguished in 
" the heart. - It is an infamous disposition, which afflicts 
st itself even for the conversion of sinners, and for the pro- 
iC gress of the Gospel, when it is through the ministry of 
sx others, that God is pleased to work these miracles. The 
ct glory of -God .seldom interests us so much, as when our 
Sf own glory appears to be mingled with his. . We endure, 
ei with some kind of regret, that God should be glorified: 
" and, I will dare to add, that some of us could behold our 
{f brethren perishing, with pleasure, rather than see them 
<f rescued from death, by other labors and other talents than 
ie our own. St. Paul rejoiced to see the Gospel spread 
" abroad, though i v t were by the ministry of tho^e, who 
c< sought to disgrace him among the faithful; and Moses 
" desired, that all his brethren might receive the gift of 
(i prophecy: but we are anxious to stand alone, and to 
" share with no person the glory and success of the holv 
•'ministry. Every thing that eclipses our own bright'- 
" ness, or shines too near us, becomes insupportable ; and 
l{ we appear to regard the gifts of God in others, merelv 

Q 3 y as 

CO uW* ¥&M. It- &* 



174 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAU.L. 

t( as a shame and reproach to ourselves." Ob- 

serve here the true source of those specious pretexts, 
which are professedly drawn from the order, the customs, 
and even from the prejudices of the world : pretexts under 
which we dare to oppose the zeal of our brethren, to 
withstand the word of God in its course, and to render 
the cross of the ministry more burthensome to those, who 
carry it further than we are disposed to do. One dis- 
t'nguishing mark of these turbulent evangelists, is that of 
being thorns in the sides of true ministers, whom they 
never fail to represent as deceivers or novices, causing 
the truest piety to wear the semblance of enthusiasm and 
folly. They speak evil of the things they understand not (m) ; 
and, by the most malicious discourses, which have always 
an appearance of zeal for religion and order, they are 
gradually rousing anew that spirit of persecution, by which 
the name of Christ has been so universally disgraced in the 
world. 

In the earliest age of the christian church, these false 
apostles, swelling with envy at the success of more faithful 
ministers, made use of every effort to render them con- 
temptible, by giving false representations of their holy zeal 
and their exemplary actions. Thus they accused St. Paul 
of walking according to the flesh; and asserted, that, though 
his letters were weighty and powerful, yet his bodily presence 
was weak, and his speech contemptible (n) . Nay, so anxious 
were they in seeking occasions for offence in the conduct of 
this Apostle, that he believed himself obliged, in the end, 
publicly to expose them — These are false apostles, says he^ 
deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of 
Christ. And no marvel , for Satan himself is transformed into 
an angel of light. Therefore, it is no great thing, if his minis - 
itrs also be transformed, as the ministers of righteousness ; 
whose end shall be according to their works (o). As our 

Lord foresaw, that these strenuous opposers of real religion, 
would bring his church to the very brink of ruin, he exhort- 
ed his disciples continually to stand upon iheir guard against 
them (p). And the Apostles, after steadily observing their 
Master's important advice, were diligent in transmitting it 
to the latest of their followers (q). 

One 
(m) 2 Vet. ii. 12. (n) 2 Cor. x. 2—10. (o) 2 Cor. xi. 13— lb. 
(p) Matt. vii. 15. (oj Acts xx. 28, 30. 2 Pet. ii. 1. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 175 

One necessary remark shall conclude this chapter. In 
the portrait of St/ Paul, we have seen that of an evangelical 
pastor : in the preceding chapter, we have marked the cha- 
racter of a careless minister ; and, in this, we behold tbe 
faithful representation of a false apostle. Let us remember, 
that one of these three portraits must agree, more or less, 
with every preacher of the Gospel. I say more or less? 
because the various traits here marked out, may be varied 
to an almost inconceivable degree. Moreover, so incon- 
stant is man, that a minister, who to-day is possessed of 
zeal sufficient to rank him with preachers of the first class, 
may to-morrow, by an unhappy remissness, sink into the 
second, as once did John whose surname was Mark ; or 
even into the third, as Hymeneus and Philetus, Diotrephes 
and Demas. On the contrary, a man, who now discovers 
many of those traits, by which Saul the pharisee was once 
distinguished, may, ere long, become an humble imitator of 
the zeal and charity of Paul the Apostle. 



CHAP. III. 

An Answer to the first Objection, which may be made against the 
Portrait of St. Paul. 



o 



BJECTIONS are the ordinary weapons, with which 
error makes war upon truth; and these are sometimes so 
powerful, that, till they are effectually repelled, we see truth 
deprived of its rights. The first, that will probably be ad- 
vanced against the Portrait of St. Paul, is this : The model 
placed before u* is too exalted for those, who are not endued 
with the miraculous gifts of Si. Paul. 

To this, and every other objection, we shall offer a 
variety of replies, in as concise a manner as possible. To 
the present objection, a sufficient answer has been already 
returned by a truly respectable author. **■ This excuse," 
says Mons. Roques, " might have some weight, if in pro- 
" posing the example of Christ to persons, who are honor 
** e*l with the holy ministry, we insisted upon their keeping 
" pace with the Savior of Mankind. But this excuse is 
" altogether frivolous, when nothing more is required of 

" ministers, 



176 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL; . 

cff ministers, than continually) to place Christ as a model 
<< before their eyes, and to imitate him -with all the exaet- 
ts ness of which they are capable." <s This excuse/' 

continues he, " is still more unreasonable, when applied 
*\ to Prophets and Apostles, who were men of like passions 
tf with ourselves; and who,, , of consequence, may be 
€t placed before us as models whose perfections are attain- ' 
" able by means of the very same succours, which support- 
*< ed them, and which .are never refused to. those, who 
"have sincere and apostolical intentions (a)." 

To the answer of this pious divine, we shall add a few 
observations. 

1. In the Portrait of St. Paul, there is found no large Je»- 
scription of miraculous gifts ; but a faithful representation 
of those christian virtues which are found in every believer, 
according to his vocation, and without which, it is impossi- 
ble for us to fill up our several duties — such as humility,-, 
faith, charity , zeal, and assiduity* , 

2. The morality, which was practised by St. Paul, was 
no other than the morality of the Gospel, which is the same 
in every age> and for. every condition: whence it fol~ 
lows, that the moral character of this Apostle, belongs not 
only to all ime pastors, but even to every sincere believer. If 
St. Paul was truly humble, charitable, and pious; his humi- - 
lity, his charity, and his piety,- a **e as essential to the religion 
of every christian, as three angles are essential to the nature 
of every triangle. It is granted, that the piety of this? 
Apostle was greater than that of a thousand other ministers, 
just as one triangle may be greater than that of a thousand 
others. Put as the asgfe$ of the most diminutive triangle, 
are of the same quality with those, which compose a trian- 
gle of uncommon magnitude; sp the moral character jof :-. 
St. Paul is, with regard to essentials, Ahe moral character .of ■>' 
every true christian,. 

3. This Apostle informs us, that he was -obliged to keep 
his body in sulrjeetion., hut, after having preached to others, he 
himself sho?dd be a cast-away (b). This single acknowledge 
ment sufficiently proves, that he was exposed to all those 
dangers, with which christians are generally beset; and 
that he saw no way jof escaping them, but by the use of 
those very precautions, which the weakest believer is in- 
structed 

- (a) Evangelical Pastor, (bj 1 Co . ix. 27. 






THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 177 

structed io take. Now if St. Paul was so fearful of falling 
away ; it St. Peter was really seen to stumble and fall ; 
and if Judas, an elected Apostle, irremediably plunged 
himself into the depths of perdition : it is but reasonable to 
suppose, that, by a faithful improvement of our privileges, 
we may attain to a g« od degree of that exalted piety, from 
which one Apostle fell tor a season, and another for ever. 

4. In the whole Portrait of St. Paul, there b not a 
stronger trait than the eighteenth, which describes the ardor 
of his love tor the jews, who pursued him even to death : a 
/arc 5 , that made him willing to be accursed in dying for 
them, as his gracious Master had been in dying for the 
world. Now this charity is so far from being an attainment 
too exalted for true ministers, that it is indiscriminately 
required of every processing christian. Hereby, saith St. 
John, pcrcc'.ie we the love of God, because he laid down his life 

us : and we uufui to lay dawn our lives for the brethren (c). 
And our Lord himself hath said, By this shall all men know. 
that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another '(d). 
Il is bv a new commandment to this effect, that the morality 
of the Gospel is peculiarly distinguished from that of the 
law. A od shall we impiously attempt to enervate evan- 
gelical morality ? Let us rather declare upon all occasions, 
that he who loveth not, khoweth not God (e). Let u> cry out, 
with the Apostle — If any man love not the Lord Jesus Christ, 
lei him be Anathema Maranatha: and if a man love not his 
brethren, he loves net the Lord Jesus ; for he that loveth not 
his brother, whom he hath seen; hoiu can he love God, whom 
teen (t) ? 

O:. he other hand, when we love our brethren with a 
pure heart fervently (g) ; when, disposed to universal benevo- 
lence, we can look upon our very enemies with sentiments 
of pity and affection ; we are then assuredly possessed of 

christian charity, which forms the most brilliant trait ia 
the moral character of St. Paul. 

5. St. Paul was for three years the resident pastor of a 
single church. The city of Ephesus was his parish: and 
while he resided there, he gave an example, which every 
minister, by the most solemn engagements, is bound to fol- 
low ; whether he be commissioned to labor in a city or a 

village. 






1 John iii. 16. (d) John xiii. 33. (e) 1 John iv. S. 

(t) 1 Cor. xvi. 2-2. 1 John iv. 20. (g) 1 Pet. i. 22, 



173 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

village. Daring two other years of his life, this Apostle 
was confined within narrower limits than any pastor of a 
parish. Shut up at Rome in a house, that served him tor a 
prison, and constantly guarded by a soldier, he was unable 
to extend the sphere of his labors. Yet, even in these cir- 
cumstances, he continued in the diligent exercise of the holy 
ministry, preaching the kingdom of God, to all them, that came 
in unto him, and teaching those things, which concern (he Lord 
Jesus Christ (h). 

Surely nothing can appear more perfectly reasonable, 
than that every pastor should discover as much zeal in hw 
particular parish, as St. Paul was accustomed to manifest in 
the Roman Empire, when he was at liberty; and in his 
own apartment, when loaded with chains. 

6. If the ardent charity and the incessant labors of St. 
Paul were happily imitated by Timothy, why may they not 
be copied by every pastor in the present day ? That youthful 
minister was anxious to tread in the .steps of this Apostle, 
and they, who are otherwise minded, assuredly fall under 
those apostolical censures, which are thus indirectly ex- 
pressed in his epistle to the Phihppians: / trust to send 
Timotfieus shortly unto you ; for 1 have no man like minded , 
who will naturally care for your state. For all seek their own, 
not the things, which are Jesus Christ's. But ye know the proof 
of him, that, as a son with the father, he hath served with me 
in the Gospel (i). 

7. The destruction of the eastern churches commenced 
in the falling away of their pastors, who gradually abated iji 
the fervors of that holy zeal, with which they had begun to 
labor in the vineyard of their Lord. Cf sich unfaithful 
teachers Christ afTectingly complained in the earliest period 
of his church, and accompanied his complaints w T ith the 
most terrible menaces. Write unto the Angel of the church of 
Ephesus, said he to St. John, / know thy former ivorks, and 
thy labor, and thy patience, and how thou canst not bear than 
which are evil : and thou hast tried them which say they arc 
apostles and are not ; and hart found them liars, &c. Never- 
theless, I have somexvhat against thee, because thou hast left thy 

first love. Bemember, therefore, from whence thou art fallen, 
and repent, and do the first tvorks : or else I &M come unto 

ihec 

(h) Acts xxxviii. 30. ('■) Phil, ii, 19—22, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL 17£ 

thee quickly, and mill remove thy candlestick out of his place, 
except thou repent (k). 

The warning was unattended io, and, at length, the 
threatened blow was struck. Thus fell the church of Ephe- 
sus, and thus every church upon earth is fallen, making way 
for that mystery of iniquity, and that general apOstacy, which 
have been so long foretold. So true is it, that apostolical 
"charity, that charity which was first lighted up on the day 
ot pentecost, is still absolutely necessary to every pastor,, 
to every church, and, of consequence, to every believer. 

From the combined force of these seven argumentative 
observations, we have a right to conclude, that the virtues 
of St. Paul are far from being inimitable ; and that the first 
objection against his portrait is void of solidity. 



T 



CHAP. IV. 

A second objection argued against. 



HEY, who follow the example of Diotrephes, rather 
than that of St. Paul, add to the preceding another objec- 
tion, to discredit, if possible, the imitators of this great 
Apostle. Do you pretend, say they, to be the successors of St. 
Paul, and the other Apostles, whom you presumptuously cue as 
your models ? 

To such objectors the following reflections will serve as 

a sufficient reply. 

1 . We have heard St. Paul, in the character of a be- 
liever, proposing himself as an example to all believers, and 
as a minister of the Gospel, exhorting Gv^ry pastor to tread 
in his steps (a). 

2. John the Baptist preached repentance; the Apostles 
proclaimed remission ot sins in the name of Jesus Christ, 
wlio was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for 
our justification (b) ; and every true minister ;uill continues 
to insist upon these important doctrines. Now as he, whp 
takes the place of a person deceased, is accounted the suc- 
cessor of such person ; so these faithful pastors should be 
regarded as teachers appointed to succeed both the fore- 
runner 

(k) Rev, ii. 2—5. (a) I Cor. xi. 1. Phil, ill. 17. (b) Ron), it. 25* 



180 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL: 

runner, and the Apostles, of Christ. It must be allowed, 
that the Apostles, as elders in the family of our Lord, were 
in possession of privileges, which we are not permitted to 
enjoy. But if the Gospel is unchangeable, and if the King- 
dom of God still remains under its ancient form of govern- 
ment, the priesthood must, for the most part, of necessity, 
continue the same. 

3. There was a time, in which the Jewish priests had 
lost the Urim and Thummim, with which Aaron and his sons 
were at first invested. There was a time, in which God 
no longer manifested himself to his own appointed priests, 
as he had been accustomed to do. But as, notwithstand- 
ing the loss of that glory, which formerly rested upon the 
Jewish church, every pious priest, such as Zacharias, was 
a true successor of Aaron; so, during the eclipse of that 
glory, which once illuminated the christian church, every 
pious minister may justly be accounted a true successor of 
St. Paul, 

4. The word Apostle signifies one ivho is sent, and an- 
swers to the term Angel or messenget\ Our brethren, says 
St. Paul, who accompany Titus, are the ?nessengers, or 
Apostles, of the churches (c). Every minister, therefore, 
who carries with sincerity the messages of his Lord, may, 
with propriety, be ranked among his Angels or messengers. 
Nor do such immediately lose their title, when they neglect 
to perform the duties of their office. They may, like Judas, 
go under the name of Apostles, even to their death, though 
utterly unworthy of such an honorable appellation. Thus, 
after the pastors of Ephesus and Laodicea had outlived the 
transient fervors of their charity and zeal, they were still 
addressed, as the Angels of their several churches. And 
thus St. Paul gave the title of Apostles to the worldly mini- 
sters of his time : in quality of ministers, they were Apostles ; 
but in quality of worldly ministers, they were false Apostles. 

5. As the name of Cesar is ordinarily applied to the 
twelve first Roman Emperors, so the name of Apostle is 
ordinal ily applied to the twelve first ministers of the Gos- 
pel, who had been permitted to converse with their Lord, 
even after his resurrection ; and to St. Paul, who was fa- 
vored with a glorious manifestation of his exalted Savior. 
In this confined sense, it is acknowledged, that the name 

of 

(c) 2 Cor. viii. 23. 






THE PORTRAIT O? ST. PASL. J SI 

of Apostle belong?, in an especial manner, to those, who 
were sent forth bv Christ, after having received their con- 
secration and commission immediately from himself. Bin, 
as the name of Cesar, in a more general sense, may be given 
to all (he Emperors of Rome : so the name of Jposile may 
be applied to every minister of the everlasting Gospel* 
Thus Barnabas, Andronicus, and Junia, who were neither of 
the number of the twelve, nor yet of the seventy disciples, 
were denominated Apostles as well as St. Paul (a), 

6. It is the invariable opinion of slothful christians, that 
the zeal of ministers and the piety of believers, in the present 
dav, must necessarily fall far betow what they were in the 
Apostles' time : as though the promises of Christ were un- 
happily limited to the primitive church. This error has 
been frequently refuted, in vain, by a variety 6f christian 
writers ; since nothing can be more conformable to that 
spirit of incredulity, which reigns among us, than to re- 
nounce, at once, the most important promises of the new 
Testament. Had the same promises been made respecting 
temporal honors and profits, we should see a different mode 
of conduct adopted : for the children of this world are-, in their 
generation, wiser than the children of light (e). 

Mons. Roques bears the following testimony to the 
truth contended for in this place. ** The ministers of the 
iS Gospel esteem themselves, and with reason, the successors 
94 of the Apostles. Their employment is essentially the 
" same ; though the Apostles were honored with many 
" glorious prerogatives, as being the first to lay the found a- 
" lion of the church/' 

" The minister of Christ/' says the same writer, <{ can- 
'* not be said vainly to flatter himself, when he counts upon 
the gracious assistance of his Master. He takes the pro- 
" mise of that Master for the solid foundation of his hope* 
" / am with you alway, said Christ to his Apostles, and, in 
• their persons, to all those, who should succeed them in the 
rf ministry, even unto the end of the world (i)/ J 

" It was this divine promise,*' continues he ; <e a promise 
r< more s ted fast than earth or heaven, that filled the Apostles 

" with such an ardent zeal, as enabled them to rejoice ever- 
" more; placing them above the fury of tyrants, and bevon 1 

R "" the 

t4) Acts xir. 14. "Rom, xvL 7. (e) Luke xvi. 8. (i } Matt, xxvri. 2y. 



ft 



182 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

" the reach of fear; assisting them to endure excessive fa- 
€e tigue, toilsome journeys, the inclemency of the seasons, 
* f and the resistance of obdurate hearts." Impressed with 
a just sense of this important promise, the venerable writer 
concludes with this fervent prayer : u Holy Jesus ! who hast 
(t promised to continue for ever with thine Apostles, and to 
te give ihem that wisdom, which no man shall ever be able 
<c to resist, give me to experience a participation of these 
" signal favors ; that, animated by the same spirit, with 
*' which thy first disciples were inspired, I may lead some 
t( soul a happy captive to the obedience of thee." These 
beautiful quotations will make their own apology for appear- 
ing in this place, 

7. If any are disposed to condemn Mons. Roques, as an 
enthusiast in this point, they consider not, how many great 
and honorable names they disgrace by such a precipitate 
judgment : since all those pious fathers, who are locked 
upon as the reformers of corrupted doctrines and degenerate 
manners, were unanimously of the same opinion. 

From the preceding reflections, it seems but reasonable 
to conclude, that all the true ministers of Christ among those 
nations, which were formerly known by the name of gen- 
tiles, are to be considered as the true successors of the 
Apostles, and particularly of St. Paul, who, by way of 
eminence, is entitled the Apostle of the gentiles, and who, 
on that account, may, with the gjeater propriety, be pro- 
posed to them as a model. 



chap. v. 

A third Objection replied to. 

JL HEY, who wiH allow neither believers nor pastors to 
become imitators of St. Paul, very rarely forget to propose a 
third objection against such imitation. If you pretend, say 
they, to be the Apostles' successors, then prove your mission by 
the performance of miracles equal to theirs. 

To this objection we reply — 

I, That ho mention is made of the miracles of Androni- 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, Io3 

cu«, junia, and Barnabas, who were real Apostles : nor are 
any miracles attributed to Titus or Timothy, though they 
were the undoubted successors of the Apostles. Further; it 
is expressly said, that John the Baptist, though he was greater 
than the Prophets, did no miracle (a). On the other hand, 
some miraculous gifts were common in the church of Co- 
rinth, even among those, who were neither Apostles nor 
Evangelists : and these gifts were so far from being essential 
to apostolic zeal, that many unworthy brethren and many 
false Apostles, as well as the traitor Judas, were endued with 
them. This we are taught, in the most express terms, by 
our Lord himself (b), 

2. If any of those pastors, who make a profession of fol- 
lowing St. Paul, are observed to publish another Gospel, of 
to depart from the order established by the Apostles, the 
world has then reason to require miracles at their hand, as 
a demonstration, that their doctrines are divine, and that 
their recent customs are preferable to those, which were 
formerly adopted in the church of Christ. But, if they 
simply proclaim that glorious Gospel, which has been ai-' 
ready confirmed by a thousand miracles, and are observed 
to adopt no other method than that of the Apostles ; it is 
absurd, in the highest degree, to insist upon miracles as the 
only sufficient evidences of their mission. From worldly 
pastors, such attestations of their sacred commission might, 
with propriety, be required. These are the persons, who 
turn aside from the beaten track of Christ and his disciples, 
both with respect to doctrine and discipline : and these 
should be required, by the church, to give incontestible" 
proofs, that their novel customs are belter than those of St. 
Paul and the ancient Evangelists. 

3. No sufricient reason can be given, why the humble 
imitators of St. Paul should be required to evidence their 
spiritual mission by extraordinary actions. On the one 
hand, they do but simply declare those religious truths, of 
which they have had the most convincing experience : and, 
on the other, they earnestly solicit the wicked to become 
partakers of the same invaluable blessing. Now the cer- 
tainty of such declaration, and the sincerity of such invitati- 
on, maybe solidly established upon two kinds of proof: first,. 

R 2 upon 

(a] Iofca x, 4U (b\ Matt. vii. 22. 



1S4- THE PORTRAIT OF ST. TAVL. 

upon those proofs which support the Gospel in general ; and, 
secondly, upon the holy conduct of those, who bear this 
testimony and repeat these invitations, by which they de- 
monstrate the efficacy of their doctrine, and indisputably 
prove, that true christians are dead indeed unto bin, but alive 
unto God (c). That pastor, who is unable to produce the 
former proofs, cannot possibly be regarded as a true successor 
of the great Apostle: and he, whose uniform conduct is 
insufficient to supply the latter, is no other than a false 
Apostle. 

4. External miracles, which effect no change in the 
heart, nor rescue the soul from a state of spiritual blindness 
and death • miracles, which serve only to repair the organs 
of a body, that must shortly be consigned to the grave ; 
miracles, which tend merely to modify matter, such as 
causing green trees to wither, withered trees to spring, and 
water to gush out of the flinty rock : miracles of this nature, 
are far less important than those, which cause the thorns of 
vice to wither, the seeds of grace to spring, and streams of 
sacred consolation to flow through those very hearts, which 
were formerly barren as a desert, and hard as the rock, that 
Moses smote. 

5. " If you wish for miracles," says a christian writers 
<( if you are anxious to experience them in yourselves ; if, 
<( in the secret of your heart, you would become witnesses 
<f of his almighty power, by whom that heart was formed ; 
" then ask of him this sublime virtue [this charity] from 
" which ail your inclinations and habits detain you at so 
'■ vast a distance, that you are in no situation to form any 
*' just idea of it, nor even to conceive the possibility of its 
'* existence (d);" 

C, This sublime virtue, this divine charity, and these 
sacred consolations, which were as a iv el I of zvater springing up 
jntQ everlasting hfe, in the hearts of Christ's first disciples, 
>«ay still be made to break forth in ours. The source of 
these inestimable graces can never be exhausted (e) ; and 
ihe faithful, who experience in themselves this consoling 
miracle, stand in need of no other prodigy to establish them 
in the faith of the Gospel, 



7. The 



(c) Rom, v», 11. (<1) Professor Cror»Rnz , serin, upon 1 Cor; xiii, !*• 

(c) lieb. xiii. 8- 



TE£ PORTRAIT OF ST. PaUI-. 185 

7, The most important miracles "were those, which 
were ?b( by the Apostles, when, as fellow-workers 

together w iff] God, they opened ihe eyes of sinners, turning 
. 10 ligktj and from thepowtrvfSata . 

Qo-j miracles of mere) these., and memorable cor. - 

;., the word oi 7 God, in the mouths of his 
isters, is continually operating in every age. 

ft. The- which is discovered by a faithful pastor, 

3 humbly co-operates with God in the conversion of hi* 
inveterate enemies, should be regarded, by the world, as the 
trae>L lest oh bis Apostleship. TVheiher there be prophtci^ , 

• there be tongues, the,/ shall cease; but 
charity never fa He fh. And though I have all faith, so that I 
PC 7nouniains, and perform the most unheard o: 
prodigies, if I have not charity, I am nothing [g\ 

The preceding replies ere abundantly Sufficient to de- 
monstrate the weakness of their third objection, who are the 

professed enemies of apostolic zeal. 



CHAP. VI. 

A fourth Objection refuted. 

JL HE objection here proposed has been abundantly more 
prejudicial 10 the cause ot pietv, than anv of the preced 
:, say formal professors, that rveru pastor is c§ 
to labor for the salvation of souls, in r. ;f day, 

zeal, which animated St. Paul in primitive times. But : 
circumstances differ in a veiy material i~ay . The Apostles u 
commissioned to preach the G " obstinate Jews, or 

idolatrous Heathens : whereas our pasters c . \ led to exert 
their ministiy among, such as have received ihe truth from their 
earliest infancy* Is it not then contrary to cam 
the same laborious efforts should be thought necessary for the 
st ruction of christians, which Si. Paul v:as formerly con- 
strained to make use of for tie c: m of idolaters ? 

-As this specious objection has been more frequently re- 
peated, than properly refuted, it becomes necessary, in tins 

R3 ' place, 

(f) Acts xx vi. 13, (z) 1 C^r, xuk 



156 THE PORTRAIT X>F ST. .PAUL. 

place, to expose all its weakness ; and to demonstrate, that 
the difference between sinners who are baptized, and those 
with whom St. Paul" had to do, is by no means in favor of 
indolent pastors. 

J . There are found swarms of infidels and idolators in 
every christian country upon earth. We need not look 
jbeyond protestant churches to discover multitudes of im- 
pious christians, who not only despise the Gospel in secret, 
but who even dare to make it the subject of public ridicule : 
men, ivlip have set up their idols* in their hearts (a), and who 
perfectly answer the Apostles' description of degenerate 
professors (b). 

2. St. Paul himself sufficiently answers this very objec- 
tion, as follows : In Christ Jesus, neither circumcision availeth 
tiny thing, nor imcircumcidcn, but a new creature : and as many 
as walk according to this ride, peace be on them (c). If there 
are any, who make a profession of receiving the christian 
faith, and who follow not this evangelical rule, the Apostle 
thus addresses them, with an holy warmth : Examine your- 
selves whether ye he in the faith ; prove your oumsclres ; know ye 
not your civnselves how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be 
reprobates (d) ? Be not deceived : neither covetous persons, nor 
drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners y shall inherit the King- 
dom of God (e). 

3. Observe how the same objection is combated again*. 
m another of St. Paul's epistles. Behold, tlwu art called a 
Christian, and makest thy boast of God, and know est his 
will, being instructed out of the twofold law of Moses and of 
Christ. Ihou, that makest thy boast of this law; Wthou,, 
through breaking the law, dishonorest God, the name of God is 
then blasphemed among the gentiles through you. Therefore, 
thou art inexcusable, G man, whosoever thou art, that judgest the 
heathen, as sinners more hopeless than thyself :. for wherein, 
thou judgest another, thou condemnest thyself; for thou that 

judgest doest the same things. And thinkest thou,, O man, that 
thy privileges unimproved, will assist thee to escape thejudg^ 
mernl of God ? Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness ; not 
knowing, that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance ? 

Beware 

(a) Ezck. xiv. 2. (b) 2 Tim. iii. 2—5. (c) Gal. vi. 15, 16V. 
(<1) 2. Cor. xiii. 5. (e) 1 Cor. vi. 9, 10. 



THE PORTRAIT O? ST. PAUL. I| 

are lest the hardness cfihine impenii 

unto thyself wrath against i 

4. Ir t iral threatening is den 

those, who are without that holiness, which the Gospe. 

ea ; it would ill become us to flatter either ourselves or 
oLhers with being the true followers of Christ, merely on 
account 01 that external profession of Christianity, w 
generally apparent am ong us. Is it not undeniai znt, 

; .:c: a : : - i: ae a . 

ness, wil - to more una heavier m if 

we had neve: k e v ... of car oe; -::, aer 

a' a ;a car lao.//. : Did 

: a 

greater ;fa':a;; ard tae hwru.a ._ :. 

] toward the ;h v 

:v.v.;;.;\ c / :..:. e as neaLhen? shall be pc :- 

.". the K Go d. v, . des 

a-.. a ;■ people shall be ca>t into outer darkness a" \ 

a. After infants have been baptized, ana after ye 
persons have been admitted lo ihe !v communi a. ue 
true pastor, ;aa king it for granted, that they ale 

christians bv partaking o: tne:e erdi- 
:es, examines them with diligence from time to ti 

cbservatien cf their conduct, ronns a 

ac. l.. ifter the strictest scrutiny, he 

discovers 5; there, \ ■■ a - tae rorrn, wuurac 

ex;:. g th.e power of godliness, he renews Lis work 

The most painful pai - - duty is 

I before hen he attempts to convert ters, 

who arc .a se . who are :: 

since, before he can lead them Lo that faith a a . ua rketh by 
, as St. Paul was accus:cmed to ieaa unprejudiced hea- 
thens, he must first unmask (hem with a holv severity^ as 
the blessed Jesus was accustomed to unmask the pnarisees 

.is riav. 
j 

6. If unregenerare christians are heathens by their 

worldly disposition ; if they are pnarisees by their presump- 

. and confirmed in their pharisaism by the fallacious 

opinions they indulge of their prerogatives under the Gos- 
pel ; — 

v Bora. ii. 1 — 24. ;ap .47,48. (hj Re*, ia, 16, 

(T Luke xiii. ZS ; xe. 



1SS THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PATTt* 

pel :■ — It; follows, that every modern pastor is called to at< 
performance of tlie twofold duty above described. And if 
this be the case, how unreasonable k it to imagine, that the 
ministers of our own time have a much less difficult task 
before them than those, who were formerly commissioned 
to publish tiie Gospel f 

7. Ail pastors have an important task assigned them, 
and, till tins is performed, they are required to labor with* 
out fainting, Observe,, in what this task consists : — He- 
thai descended from Heaven, saith St.- Pauf,gtf8r some Apostles ; 
and some pastors and teachers ; for the perfecting of the saints y 
for the icork of the ?ninistru, for the edifying of the body of 

Christ: till use all come, both pastors and flocks, unto the 
measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ (k). When 

every christian has attained to this exalted state, the minis- 
ters of the Gospel may then assert their work to be complete, 
and need imitate no longer the diligence of St. Paul. But 
while we are surrounded with baptized swearers, sabbath- 
breakers, slanderers, gamesters, drunkards, gluttons, de- 
bauchees, blasphemers, and hypocrites, who are using every 
effort to render Christianity despicable before infidels, and 
execrable in the eyes of philosophers: at such a time, ie 
cannot be reasonably imagined, that m\y individual laborer 
is permitted to stand idle in the spiritual vineyard, And 
yet, in this very time of universal degeneracy, there are not 
wanting many among us, who inconsiderately cry out;; 
(% St. Paul, without doubt, had reason to labor with unre- 
" miuing assiduity for the conversion of idolatrous heathens ♦ 
** but ive are converted already, and see no necessity for 
** that burning zeal, and those strenuous efforts among our 
" modern teachers, which were formerly commendable ia 
" that Apostle/' 

8. If it be objected, that christians are here represented 
in a more deplorable point of view, than candor or observa- 
tion can warrant; we appeal to those proclamations which 
have been made, with a view to repress the single sin of 
profaning the name of God, by impious oaths and horrible 
imprecations. These must undoubtedly be considered as 
public testimonies of public guilt. In such proclamations, 
every christian government, whether catholic or protestant, 

equally 
(k) E*b. iv. 11—13. 



THE PORTRAIT 0>' ST. PAUL. 189 

equally complain, that all the civil laws, by which they have 
endeavored to enforce the Law of God, have proved in- 
sufficient to prevent the overflowings of a crime, as insipid 
as it is disgraceful. In vain have new penalties and punish- 
ments been decreed ; in vain are they constantly held forth 
from the pulpits of preachers and the thrones of kings: this 
despicable vice still reigns undisturbed among us, insulting 
over the broken laws of earth and Heaven. Now if 

it has hitherto been found impossible to prevent the com- 
mission of a sin, which has neither pleasure nor profit to 
plead in its favor ; what can we expect of all those thousand 
vices, which allure with promises of both? Are not dissimu- 
lation and perjury, injustice and covetousness, Iasciviousness 
and luxury apparent among the members of every church ? 
Do not rapine, revenge, and murder, defile every part of 
Christendom, in spite of prisons, banishment, and death ? 
It is a truth too notorious to be controverted, that every 
crime, with which human nature has ever been polluted, is 
still continually practised in the most enlightened parts of the 
world. 

We might here mention, if it were necessary, the con- 
tempt in which marriage is held, the instability of that holy- 
estate, and the facility with which so sacred a bond is 
broken. We might go on to bewail the frequent commis- 
sion of suicide in christian communities. — But to speak of 
these, with many other sins, which are increasing around us 
to an alarming degree, would be only to echo back those sad 
complaints, which are every day breathed from the lips of 
the righteous. The above remarks may possibly appear 
uncharitable to some : but, if they are without foundation, 
bow many unmeaning expressions do we find in our liturgy ! 
what hypocrisy in our public confessions ! what false humility 
in our prayers ! 

From all these observations, it is evident, that the most 
heathenish manners are common among christians so called, 
and that the most scandalous vices are prevalent, even in 
those countries, where reformed Christianity has erected its 
standard. Let the impartial enquirer then declare, whether 
it be not peculiarly necessary to preach repentance among 
those, whose rebellion against God is accompanied witn 
jpeiiidiousness and hypocrisy * 

CHAP, 



190 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

CHAP. VII. 

The same Subject continued. 

1. VV ERE it even certain, that professing christians m 
general walk according to their holy vocation ; would it be 
commendable in pastors to shew less concern for the salva- 
tion of Christ's apparent disciples,, than was anciently dis- 
covered by St. Paul, for the conversion of persecuting 
heathens? Christians are our brethren. The -church, our 
common mother, has nourished us with the same spiritual 
milk, and calls us to a participation of the same heavenly in- 
heritance. Christians are no more strangers ; and even those, 
who are bad citizens, and unfaithful domesticks, are never- 
theless in some sense citizens of the same city with our- 
selves, and of the household of God (a). Hence, as we 
compose but one household, so whenever we are disposed 
to neglect any part of this family, we may apply to ourselves 
the following words of the Apostle : If any provide not for 
his oivn, and especially for those of his own house , he has denied 
the faith, and is worse than an infidel (b). Let ministers,, 
then, be placed in the happiest imaginable circumstances ; 
and it will still become them to cry out, with the pious 
benevolence of St. Paul ; As we have opportunity, let us do 
good unto all men, especially unto them, who are of the 
household of faith (c). 

2. We may here pursue the idea, which Christ himself has 
given us, by comparing his church to a vineyard. If it be 
necessary to graft those stocks, which are naturally wild; is 
it less necessary to cultivate those, which have been already 
grafted?* We see the husbandman bestowing most culture 
upon those vines, which produce the most excellent fruit. 
Let ministers attend to this general rule : and since they 
only can be fruitful in the sacred vineyard, who receive the 
word of God in faith, let tliem study to train up believers 
to the highest state of maturity. Thus the heavenly hus- 
bandman is represented, as purging every fruitful branch, 
that it may br in* forth more fruit (d). 

3. The word of God must be offered to sinners as a 
remedy suited to the disease of their souls : but to the faithful 

it 
(t) Epli, ii. 19. (b) i Tim. v. 8. (c) Gal. vu 10. (<1) John xv tt 2. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FA.UL 191 

k mast be administered as nourishing food.. Hence, as the 
order of grace resembles that of nature, it is necessary, in a 
spiritual sense, to minister nutriment to the healthy in much 
greater quantities, than medicine to those who are diseased. 
Thus believers, who constantly hunger and thirst after 
greater degrees of grace, should more frequently receive the 
living word, that they may abound yet more and more in know- 
ledge y till they are filed with the fruits of righteousness (e). 

4. We find the following expressions in the epistle of 
St. Paul to the Romans; / am persuaded of you, my brethren , 
that ye are full of goodness, filed with all knowledge, able to 
admonish one another. Nevei thelcss, I have written the more 
boldly unto you f as jwtting you in mind. And / long- to see 
you, thai I may impart unto you some spiritual gift, to the end 
ye may be established (f ). Now, if St. Paul could express so 
earnest a desire to instruct those christians, who were per- 
fect strangers to him, and who were already so divinely en- 
lightened ; far from being imitators of this great Apostle, do 
we not forfeit all pretensions to charity, while we suffer those 
ignorant christians to perish for lack of knowledge (g), who 
are not only of our neighbourhood, but probably of our very 
parish ? 

5. Though St. Paul was assisted with miraculous endow- 
ments, yet how anxiously did he endeavor to fill up the 
twofold duties of a believer in Christ, and a minister of I is 
Gospel. And shall we refuse to labor with equal earned - 
ness, whose gifts are so mean, and whose graces are so ii - 
considerable ? Appointed, like the primitive preachers of 
Christianity, to be fshers of men, is it not perfectly reason- 
able, that we should manifest as great activity with our 
feeble lines, as St. Paul w r as accustomed to discover in the 
use of his capacious net? If that Apostle, filled with holy 
seal, was enabled to convert more sinners at a single dis- 
course, than many pastors are known to convert in a thou- 
sand sermons ; should we not, by our uncommon assiduity, 
supply, as much as possible, the want of that incomprehen- 
sible energy, which accompanied his ministerial labors ? 

6. Ministers are compared to laborers, who go forth to 
cultivate the lands of their master. Now St. Paul, as the 
foremost of these laborers, wrought night and day with an 

extraor- 
(c)PhiU i.S>— IK (f) Rom.X¥,U ; 15. i. 11. (g) Iiosea iv. 6, 



192 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL; 

extraordinary instrument, which marked out furrows of an 
uncommon depth, and ploughed up entire provinces on a 
sudden. He made the fullest proof of his ministry, and by 
the most astonishing efforts, spread the seed of the Gospel 
from Jerusalem, round about unto IUyricum (h). How vast a 
difference between the former and latter pastors of the 
christian church ! Many of us are content to stand altogether 
idle, till the night comeih, in which no man can vjork (i) i 
while others, who are disposed to some little occupation, 
employ themselves as workmen, who have need to be utterly 
ashamed of their insignificant labors (k). At best we hold 
but a tardy instrument, an instrument, which with immense 
toil will but barely graze the earth, we are called to cultivate. 
And shall we, thus unhappily circumstanced, permit our 
ploughshares to gather rust during six successive days, and 
then leisurely employ them but an houiyupon the seventh? 
Surely such a mode of conduct is as contrary to common 
sense, as to the example St. Paul has left us. 

7. So astonishing is the inconstancy, the weakness, and 
the depravity, of the human heart, that, in spite of all the 
persevering industry of this Apostle in the vineyard of his 
Lord, it still brought forth briars and thorns, to the anguish 
of his soul. Behold, saith he to the Corinthians, the third 
time J am ready to come unto you, for your edifying. For I 
fear, lest ivhen I come, I shall not find you such as I would, and 
that I shall be found unto you such, as ye would not : lest there 
be debates, envyings, wraths, strifes, back-bitings, whisperings, 
swellings, tumults : and lest, ivhe?i J come, my God will humble 
me among you, and that I shall bewail many, ivhich have sinned 
already, and have not repented (1). 

We shall close this chapter by proposing the following 
queries, which may be reasonably grounded upon the pre- 
ceding passage. If the natural and supernatural talents of 
St. Paul ; if his zeal, his diligence, and his apostolic autho- 
rity, were insufficient to engage his flock to conduct them- 
selves, as followers of Christ; if their want of piety drew 
from him tears of lamentation, and obliged him to renew his 
painful efforts with redoubled solicitude ; can those pastors 
be said to possess the spirit of the Gospel, who behold with 

indifference 

(h) Rom. xv. 19. (i) Jobii ix. 4. (k) 2 Tim. ii. 15, 

(1) 2 Cor. xii. H— 31. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 193 

indifference the disorders of that falling church, which Christ 
has purchased with his own blood? And if the extraordinary 
labors of St. Paul were not sufficient fully to answer the 
dt-sign of the sacred ministry, is it not presumption indeed 
to imagine, that our trivial services ai\ sufficiently complete ? 



CHAP. VIII, 

A further Reply to the same Objection, 

VV HEN we attack a prejudice, that is obstinately- de- 
fended, it is frequently as needful to multiply arguments 
as it is necessary in a siege to multiply assaults. Pursuing 
this method, we shall endeavor, upon new grounds, to 
establish the doctrine contended for in the two last chapters. 

1. After exhorting Timothy to labor without ceasing, 
St. Paul assigns the following reason for such injunction : 
Knoi's, saith he, that in the lust times of the christian church, 
men, who make a profession of faith, shall be lovers of their 
Civmches, despisers of those that are good — lovers of pleasure 
more than lovers of God ; having a form of godliness 3 hut deny- 
ing the poieer thereof (a). Now, if Timothy was exhorted 
to use all diligence in opposing those evils, winch were 
then only making their approach ; is it reasonable, that we 
should be remiss, who are unhappy enough to see those Imt 
times, in which the decay of piety, predicted by the Apostle, 
is become universal ? On the contrary, is not this the mo- 
ment, in which we should strenuously resist the overflow- 
ings of ungodliness, and fortify those who are not xtt swept 
away by the impetuous torrent ? 

2. When the great Apostle benevolently carried the 
word of God to sinners of every different nation, he there- 
by armed against himself the authority of magistrates and 
priests, as well Jewish as pagan. Idis universal philanthro- 
py, exposed him to the most cruel persecutions. Thousands, 
and ten thousands, were set in array against him ; and the 
inhabitants of every kingdom seemed determined to resist 
or destroy him, in his spiritual progress. He saw these 

S surrounding 

(a) 2 Tim. iii. i— 5. 



294? THE PORTKA1T OF ST. PAUL. 

surrounding dangers ; but he saw them without discovering 
any symptom of fear : and, rather than discontinue his pain- 
ful labors, he cheerfully proceeded to encounter every 
threatening evil. We, on the contrary, are appointed to 
build up the children of the kingdom in their most holy faith. 
And shall we labor less, because we can labor with less 
danger ? Shall we neglect the duties of our sacred function, 
because our superiors in church and state permit us to con- 
vert sinners, command us to preach the Gospel, erect us tem- 
ples for the public celebration of divine worship, and allow 
us salaries, that our ministry may never be interrupted by 
secular cares ? The ministerial services, which St. Paul 
performed with such unabating zeal, when his reward was 
imprisonment and stripes, must we be engaged to discharge 
by emoluments and honors? And, after all, shall we limit 
cur constrained obedience precisely to that point, which 
will merely secure us from public deposition and disgrace? 

3. What was the error of Demas, a man, as notorious 
by his fall among the Evangelists, as Judas among the apos- 
tles ? Demas loved this present world (b), and, ceasing to 
imitate the diligence of St. Paul, ungratefully left him to 
labor almost without a second. And will unfaithful Evan- 
gelists presume, that they may imitate, without fear, the 
apostacy of Demas ; and renounce, with impunity, the ex- 
ample of St. Paul? If such is their unhappy persuasion, we 
submit the following queries to their serious consideration* 
Are the souls of men less valuable ; is sin of any kind less 
detestable, or the Law of God less severe, in the present 
day, than in the earlier ages of the christian church ? Have 
pastors a right to be remiss, while the night of incredulity 
is blackening around them r Are the attacks of anti-ehris- 
tian philosophers less frequent and audacious at present, 
than in former times ? Or, finally, is the appearance of our 
omnipotent Judge no longer expected in the world? 

4. If the Apostles, and primitive pastors, have removed 
many threatening impediments out of our way ; if they 
have procured for us our present advantages, by the most 
amazing exertions, and at the prodigious price of their 
blood ; surely it can never be imagined, that they acted 

with 

(b) 2 Tim. iv< 10. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUk. 195 

with so much resolution and suffered with so much con- 
stancy, that we might become the indolent leaders of their 
unparalleled history. Was it not rather, that, animated 
with a becoming sense of iheir great example, we might 
make the highest improvement of our inestimable privileges? 

5. The mountains are now laid low, the valleys are 
filled up, the crooked ways are made straight, and we have 
only to carry that salvation to sinners, for which such won- 
derful preparations have been made. And are we negli- 
gent in running on the errands of everlasting love ? And 
are we backward in bearing the happiest tidings to the 
mo4 hapless of creatures ? No excuse then can possibly be 
made for this coldness, except that, which the author of 
Emilius has put into the mouth of a fictitious character : 
Qfwluit importance is it to me, says the vicar Savoyard, what 
becomes of the wicked ! I am but little concerned in their future. 
destiny. An excuse for the want of zeal, which can never 
be pleaded, without reflecting the utmost disgrace upon 
humanity. 

6\ Ye pastors of a flock ever prone to wander ! choose 
whom you will follow, philosophers or Apostles ; the inde- 
fatigable zeal of St. Paul, or the cruel indifference of the 
sceptical vicar ? But, if you take the latter for your model, 
we solemnly entreat you to lay aside the profession, while 
you so shamefully renounce the duties, of the holy ministry. 
As 1 live, saith the Lord God, I have no pleasure in the death 
of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and 
live (c). With you, however, it is a matter of very incon- 
siderable importance, whether the wicked be finally saved, 
or destroyed. And yet, careless as you are of its weal or 
woe, you presume to appear as ministers of the church, and 
as pastors over that little flock, for which the good shepherd 
was content to lay down his life. To rank with the 

watchful attendants of the fold is an honor, of which you 
are altogether unworthy ; but you may with propriety be 
counted in the number ot those ungrateful hirelings, "who 
care not for the sheep (d). 

7. It is true, you are not without companions, as well 
ancient as modern. You have Hophni and Phinehas, 
Gehazi and Balaam, to keep you in countenance ; you have 

S 2 the 

(c) Ezek. xxxiii. 11. (J) John x. 13. 



1.96 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

the prophets of Jezebel to plead in your favor, and every 
worldly ecclesiastic of the present day to approve your 
choice : but apostolical men will resolutely withstand you, 
like Eiisha and his Master, in the cause of deserted truth. 

Ye slothful domesticks of the most diligent Master! Ye 
cruel attendants of the tenderest shepherd ! say, have ye 
never heard that Master crying out, with the voice of affec- 
tion, Feed my sheep (e) ? Have ye not seen him conducting 
his iiock to an evangelical pasture, in the temple, in syna- 
gogues, in villages, in houses, in deserts, on the sea shore, 
and on the tops of mountains ? He anxiously sought out the 
miserable. Truth was the guide of his wav, charity accom- 
panied his steps, and his path was marked with blessings. 
His secret eiforts were more painful than his public labors : 
he publicly instructed through, the day, but he privately 
agonized in prayer through the night. His first dis- 

ciples were anxious to tread in the steps of their adorable 
Master. They exercised their ministry within sight of 
torments and death : and will you dare to neglect it, now 
the cry of persecution is hushed? Will you equally despise, 
both the promises and threatenings of the Gospel ? Will 
you hasten the times of antichrist, by an antichristian con- 
duct ? And when the Son of man shall come, shall he find 
you trampling under foot the Gospel of his grace ? Or, 
shall he surprize you distributing cards round the tables of 
your friends, rather than earnestly inviting those friends to 
the table of your Lord ? 

O that we could prevail upon you to stand in your pro- 
per post, and act in conformity to your professional charac- 
ter! While you dream of security, you are surrounded with 
the most alarming dangers. Stand, therefore, having your 
loins girt about with truth ; having on the breast-plate of righte- 
ousness, and your feet shod with the preparation cf the Gospel of 
peace: above all, taking the shield of faith, whereivith ye shall 
be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the 
helmet of salvation, and the sivord cf the Spirit, which is the 
xvord of God ; praying always with all prayer, and watching 
thereunto with all perseverance, and supplications for all saints ; 
and for the milliners of the Gospel in particular, that they 
may open their mouth boldly, to make known die mystery of the 

Gospel, 

(^e) John xxi. 17. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 197 

Gospel, and diffuse abroad the unsearchable riches of Christ (f). 
Thus, quitting yourselves like men, in this sacred 
warfare, after steadily resisting, you shall finally overcome, 
all the Strength of the enemy, by the ivord of truth, by the 
power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand 
and on the left (g) : till having weathered out the evil day, 
continuing faithjul unto death, ye shall be rewarded with 
a crown ^everlasting life (b). 



CHAP. IX. 

A further 'Refutation of the same Objection* 

IvVY HEN we see a number of persons in perilous c!r= 
cufnstances, charity constrains us to make our first efforts ia 
favor of those, .who appear to be in the most imminent 
danger.. Such are unholy christians, . Sinful heathens are 
doubtless in danger ; obstinate jews in still greater peril; 
but impenitent christians are in a situation abundantly more 
lamentable than either ; since they offend against clearer 
light and knowledge, equally inattentive to the most graci- 
ous promises, on one hand, and the most terrible menaces, 
on the other. To sin with the new Testament in our hand, 
and with the sound of the Gospel in our ears — to sin with 
the seal of baptism in our forehead, and the name of Christ 
in our lips — to si?t-. and receive the holy communion ; to 
ratify and break the most solemn engagements ; what is 
thh, but earnestly, laboring out our own damnation, and 
ptanging ourselves into those abysses of wretchedness, 
which pagans and jews are unable to fathom r How eagerly 
then i should every believer attempt to rescue his falling 
bfethren ? and, especially, . how anxious should they be to 
arrest those leaders of the blind, who are drawing their 
followers to the brink of perdition ? As this is one 

of those arguments, upon which the truth here pleaded for 
must principally rest, we shall consider it in the several 
points of view, .under which it is presented to us in the 
GospeU 

S3 2. The 

(f) Eph. vi. 14—19. iii. & (-) 2 CM* vi. 7, (h) Rev. ii.10, 



I9S THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

2. The commission of St. Paul was particularly directed 
to the gentiles : yet, before he visited their benighted na- 
tions, he judged it his duty to make a full and free offer of 
the everlasting Gospel to the people of the jews. For the 
conduct of the .Apostle in this respect, the following rea- 
sows are to be assigned. First, The promises pertained to the 
jews in a peculiar manner (i). Secondly, The children of 
Abraham, according to the flesh, had a more threatening- 
prospect before them, in case of final impenitence, than 
any other people upon earth : Tribulation and anguish shall 
be upon every soul of man, that doth evil, of the jew first and 
also of the gentile (k). 

3. The same reasons, though chiefly the latter, are still 
to be urged, why the ministers of Qhrist should principally 
labor among christians. For if sinners of the circumcision 
shall be more severely punished than the ignorant hea- 
then, so the Apostle declares, that sinners, who are baptized 
into the name of Christ, shall be treated with still greater 
rigor than impenitent jews. He that despised Moses* law, 
s'aith he, died without mercy under tiuo or three witnesses : of 
how much sorer punishment , then, suppose ye, shall he be thought 

. worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God — -and hath 
done despite unto the spirit of grace (1) ? If this consi- 

deration was accompanied with its due effect, it would fire 
us with the most unconquerable zeal for the salvation of 
negligent christians. 

4. In one of the last discourses our Lord addressed to 
the cities of Galilee, we find him reading over them this 
dreadful sentence of condemnation. Woe unto thee Chora- 
zin, woe unto thee Bethsaida! for if the mighty works, wMch 
were done in you, had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would 
have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I say unto 
you j it shall be more tolerable for lyre and Sidon at the day of 
judgment, than for you. And thou Capernaum, xvhich, by thy 

religious privileges, art exalted unto Heaven, shah, for the 
non- improvement of them, be brought down to Hell. Yea, 
it shall be more tolerable, in the day of judgment, for the land of 
Sodom, which has been already consumed with fire from 
above, than for thee (m). . 

5. To 

(i) Rom. ix. 4. (k) Rom. ii. 9. (I) Heb. x. 28, 29. 

(mj Matt.xi, 21— 2*. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 199 

5. To draw the just consequences from this affect 
menace, we must recollect, that, when it was pronounced, 

inhabitants of the above-mentioned cities had been fa- 
vored, bat for a very short interval, with the ministry of 
Christ and his messengers : And if the death and resurrec- 
tion of Jesus were afterwards published among them, it is 
more than probable, that these important facts were publish- 
ed only in a desultory and transient way, Nevertheless, the 
sinners of Capernaum were thought worthy of greater pu- 

ment, than the sinners of Sodom. Hence we conclude, 
that, if the sinners of London, Paris, Rome, and Geneva, 
have hardened themselves against the truihs of the Gospel 

a much longer continuance, than the citizens of Caper- 
naum were permitted to do; there is every reason to appre- 
hend, that their sentence will not only be more dreadful than 
the sentence of Sodom, but abundantly less tolerable than 
that, which was pronounced upon the inhabitants of Galilee, 

6. While we consider the various proportions in w 
future punishment shall be administered to the wicked of 
different classes, we mav turn to those remarkable expres- 
sions oi St. Peter and St. Paul : — If, after having escaped 
Vie pollutions of the world, through the knowledge of the Lord 
and Savior JeS'.ts Christ, tliey are again entangled therein and 
overcome; the latter end is worse v:ith them than the bezinninz. 
For, it had been better for them not to have foi&wn the nay of 
righteousness, than after they have kn&um it, to turn from the 
holy commandment delivered unto them(n). If we sin 
wilfully, after we have received the knowledge of the truth, there 
remaineih no more sacrifice for sins ; but a certain fearful 
looking for of judgment, and fiery indignation, vjhich shall de- 
tour the adversaries (o). These declarations assist us to 
discover the true ground of that apostolic exhortation, with 
which we shall close this chapter : Of some have compassion, 
making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them 
out of the fire (p). 

From this last view of the subject we may perceive, 
"nto how dangerous an error those persons are fallen, who 
>resume to object against imitating the zeal of St. Paul, 

CHAP. 

(n) 2 Pet, ii. 20, 21, (o) Heb. x. 26, 27. (p) Jude 22, 23, 



200 THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL,. 

CHAP. X* 

A fifth Objection answered*. 

JL HE solidity of the preceding, remarks may be acknow- 
ledged by many pastors, who will still, excuse themselves 
from copying th& example of St. Paul*. 

It is unreasonable, they will say; to require that ice should 
preach the word of God, in season and out of season, as St. 
Paul once did, and as Timothy was aftenvurds exhorted to do. 
We find it, at this day, a ft tatter of difficulty, to prepare any 
public address, that may be eithef acceptable to the pQ&ple y or 
honorable to ourselves. 

To this objection we return the following, replies* 

1. He, who spake as neveF man spake, rejected the 
arts of our modern orators, delivering his discourses in a* 
style of easy simplicity, and unaffected zeal. 

2. We do not find, that St. Paul and the other Apostles 
imposed upon themselves the troublesome servitude of pen*, 
ning down their discourses. And we are well assured,, 
that, when the seventy and the twelve were commissioned 
to publish; the Gospel, no directions of this nature were 
given in either case.. 

3. St. Paul gives fhe following pastoral instructions to 
Timothy : Give attendance to reading, to exhortation to doc- 
trine. Neglect not the gift, tka$ is in thee.. Meditate upori 
these things, give' thyself wholly to them. Take heed unto thy- 
sef, and to thy doctrine ; continue- in them: for, in doing this^ 
thou sh&fc both save thyself, and tiliem that hear thee (a). Premk 
ihexwrd; be inWant m> season^, out of season : reprove, rebuke, 
exhort, with ail long-s-itfering and doetrme (b)* Now, h&d- 
it ever entered into t?he mind of the Apostle, thafc it wo&lok 
be proper for pastors to compose their sermons in the man- 
ner of rhetoricians^ and to deliver them as public orators, he 
would most probably have given some intimation of this* to- 
his disciple. In such case, he would iia-ve held out to his 
pupil in divinity some instructions of the following nature. 
'* O Timothy, my son ! I have frequently commanded thee 
" to labor in the work of the Lord, according to my ex- 

** amptec. 
(a) 1 Tim. iv. 13, 16. (b) 2 Tim, iv. 2"; 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 20l 

u ample. But as thou art nut an Apostle, properly so called, 
" and hast not received the gift of languages, I advise thee 
" to write over thy sermons as correctly as possible. And 
'•' after this, do not fail to rehearse them before a mirror, till 
<s thou art able to repeat them with freedom and grace : so 
" that, when thou art called upon public duty, thou may est 
*' effectual] y secure the approbation of thine auditors. 
" Furthermore, when thou art about to visit any distant 
" churches, lav up in thy portmanteau the choicest of thy 
" sermons. And wherever thou art, take care to have, at 
" least, one discourse about thee, that ihou ma\ est be pre- 
(< pared against any sudden emergency, and never appear 
" unfurnished in the eyes of the people. " The 

idea of such a passage in the -epistles of St, Paul, whether 
public or private, is too absurd to be endured. 

4. If advocates, after hastily considering a question of 
difficulty, are read v to plead the cause of their client before 
a court of judicature : can it be possible, that, after several 
years of meditation and study, a minister should still be un- 
prepared to plead the cause oi piety, before a plain assembly 
of his unlearned parishioners? 

5. When we are deeplv interested in a subject of the 
last importance, do we think it necessary to draw up our 
arguments in an orderly manner upon paper, before we 
attempt to deliver our arguments upon the matter in hand ? 
Are not the love and penetration of a parent sufficient to 
dictate such advice, as is suited to the different tempers and 
conditions of his children ? After perceiving the house of 
our neighbour on fire, we do not withdraw to our closet to 
prepare a variety of affecting arguments, by way of engag- 
ing him to save both himself and his family from the flames. 
In such case, a lively conviction of our neighbour's danger, 
and an ardent desire to rescue him from it, afford us greater 
powers of natural eloquence, than any rules of art can fur- 
nish us with. 

6. Horace observes, that neither matter nor method 
will be wanting, upon a well digested subject : 

cut kcta patenter er it res, 
Necfaxmndia deseret hunc, neclucidus ordo. 

With how much facility then may suitable expressions 

be 



202 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

be expected to follow those animating sentiments, which 
are inspired hy an ardent love to God and man ; especially 
when subjects of such universal concern are agitated, as 
death and redemption, judgment and eternity ? Upon 

such occasions, out of the abundance of the heart the mouth 
will speak, nor ivill the preacher be able to repeat a tenth part of 
the truths, which God has communicated to him., while meditating 
upon his text (b). If malice can furnish those persons with an 
inexhaustible fund of conversation, who delight in calumny ; 
how much more may we suppose the charity of a pastor to 
furnish him with an inexhaustible fund of exhortation, in* 
struction, and comfort. 

7. It has been a plea with many ministers of the Gospel, 
that they neglect to proclaim that Gospel during six days in 
the week, lest they should be unprepared to address their 
parishioners with propriety upon the seventh. With teach- 
ers, who are thus scrupulously tenacious of their own repu- 
tation, we may justly be allowed to reason in the following 
manner. To what purpose are all those oratorical append* 
ages, with which you are so studious to adorn your dis- 
courses ; and who hath inquired all this useless labor at your 
hand(c) ? If a servant, after being charged by his master 
with a message of the utmost importance, should betake 
himself to his chamber, and defer the execution of it day 
after day ; would not such a delay be esteemed an unpar- 
donable neglect? Or, if he should attempt to apologise for the 
omission, by alledging that he had been busily engaged in 
learning to repeat, with precision^ the message he had re- 
ceived, and to move upon his errand with dignity and grace 
— would not such an excuse be regarded as an instance of 
the highest presumption and folly? And can we imagine, that 
our heavenly Master will overlook that neglect in his public 
messengers, which would appear, in the conduct of a pri- 
vate domestic, so justly condemnable ? 

8. What advantage has accrued to the church, by re- 
nouncing the apostolic method of publishing the Gospel? 
We have indolence and artifice, in the place of sincerity and 
vigilance. Those public discourses, which were anciently 
the effects of convirtron and zeal, are now become the 
weekly exercises of learning and art. We believe, and there- 
fore 

(b) Act of Synod, chap. xl. (c) Isaiah 1. 1 1, 12. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 203 

fore speak (d), is an expression, that has grown entirely 
obsolete among modern pasiors. But nothing is more com- 
mon among us, than to say — As we have sermons prepared 
upon a variety of subjects, we are ready to deliver them, as 
opportunity offers. 

9. Many inconveniences arise from that method of 
preaching, which is generally adopted in the present day. 
While the physician of souls is laboring to compose a 
learned dissertation upon some plain passage of scripture, 
he has but little leisure to visit those languishing patients, 
who need his immediate assistance. He thinks it sufficient 
to attend them upon every sabbath day, in the place ap- 
pointed for public duty i but he recollects not, that those, to 
whom his counsel is peculiarly necessary, are the very per- 
sons, who refuse to meet him there. His unprofitable em- 
ployments at home, leave him no opportunity to go in 
pursuit of his wandering sheep. He meets them, it is true, 
at stated periods, in the common fold ; but it is equally 
true, that, during every successive interval, he discovers the 
coldest indifference with respect to their .spiritual welfare. 
From this unbecoming conduct of many a minister, one 
would naturally imagine, that the flock were rather called 
to seek out their indolent pastor* than that he was purposely 
hired to pursue every straying sheep. 

10. The most powerful nerve of the sacred ministry is 
ecclesiastical discipline. But this nerve is absolutely cut 
asunder by the method, of which we now speak. When a 
pastor withdraws fatigued from his study, imagining that he 
has honorably acquitted himself, with regard to his people, 
he is too apt to neglect that vigilant inspection into families, 
upon which the discipline of the church depends. Such a 
spiritual instructor may justly be compared to a vain-glorious 
pedagogue, who, after drawing up a copy, and adorning it, 
for several days together, with all the embellishments of his 
art, should yet imagine, that he had admirably performed 
his part, in preparing it, at length, for his scholars, without 
any visible defects. And what could reasonably be ex- 
pected from the pupils of such a teacher, but that, fearing 
neither scholastic discipline, nor particular inspection, they 

should 
(d) 2 Cor. iv. 13. 



204 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

should neglect to transcribe what their master with so much 
unprofitable toil had produced ? 

1 1. Since the orator's art has taken place of ihe energy of 
faith, what happy effects has it produced upon the minds of 
men ? Have we discovered more frequent conversions 
among us ? Are formal professors more generally seized 
with a religious fear? Are libertines more universally con- 
strained to cry out ; Men and brethren, what shall we do (e) ? 
Do the wicked depart from the church, to bewail their 
transgressions in private ; and believers to visit the mourn- 
ers in their affliction ? Is it not rather to be lamented, that 
we are at this day equally distant from christian charity, 
and primitive simplicity ? 

12. Reading over a variety of approved sermons is 
generally supposed to be preaching the Gospel. If this 
were really so, we need but look out some school-boy of 
a tolerable capacity ; and, after instructing him to read 
over, with proper emphasis and gesture, the sermons of 
Tillotson, Sherlock, or Saurin, we shall have made him an 
excellent minister of the word of God. But, if preaching 
the Gospel, is to publish among sinners that repentance and 
salvation, which we have experienced in ourselves ; if it is 
to imitate a penitent slave, w r ho, freed from misery and iron, 
returns -to the companions of his former slavery, declaring 
the generosity of their Prince, and persuading them to sue 
for mercy ; — if this is to publish the Gospel of peace, then 
it is evident, that experience and sympathy are more neces- 
sary to the due performance of this woik, than all the 
accuracy and elocution, that can possibly be acquired. 

13. When this sacred experience, and this generous 
sympathy, began to lose their prevalence in the church, 
their place was gradually supplied by the trifling substitutes 
of study and affectation. Carnal prudence has now for 
many ages solicitously endeavored to adapt itself to the 
taste of the wise and the learned. But, while the offence of 
the cross is avoided (i), neither the wise nor the ignorant are 
effectually converted. The Gospel is abundantly better 
suited to the poor in spirit, than to those, who value them- 
selves as men of sagacity and science. / thank thee, Fa- 
ther ! said the lowly jesus, that thou hast hid these things from 

the 
(e) Acts xi. 37. (f) Gal. v. 11. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 20j 

the wise and the prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes (g\ 
These babes, however, in the language of Christ, are the 
verv persons, who have been usually neglected by us, for 
the'mere gratification of reputed sages. Alas! how many 
thousand proofs do we require to convince us, that the wis- 
dom of this world will continue to trample under Foot tha 
pearl of the Gospel, though., in order to secure its reception, 
it should be presented among the artificial pearls of a vain- 
philosophy ? % 

1-k In consequence of the same error, the ornaments of 
theatrical eloquence have been sought after, with a shame- 
ful solicitude. And what has been the fruit of so much 
useless toil ? Preachers, after all, have played their part with 
much less applause than comedians; and their curious audi- 
tors are still running from the pulpit to the stage, for the 
pleasure of hearing tables repeated with a degree of sensi- 
bility, which the messengers of truth can neither/ec7, nor 

fig*- 

Notwithstanding the above remarks have been express- 

ed in the most pointed manner, we mean not to insinuate, 
that the errors already exposed are the only mistakes to be 
guarded against. Extremes of every kind are to be avoided 
with equal care. We condemn the carnal prudence of 
christian orators; but we as sincerely reprobate the conduct 
of those enthusiasts, who, under pretence that Christ has 
promised to continue with his disciples to the end of the 
world, exhibit the reveries of a heated imagination for the 
truths of the Gospel. Too many of these deluded fanaiies 
are found, who, taking their slothfulness and presumption, 
for the effects of a lively faith and an apoUolic confidence, 
repeatedly affront the Almighty, and justly offend those can- 
did hearers, who are least disposed to take o^ence. Offen- 
will undoubtedly come: but it behoves (ft to make a ju?t 
distinction between the real offence of tlu cross, and that, 
which is given by an unlicensed presumption on our own 
part. 

If- we are honored with the pastoral office, hi us consi- 
der the holy scriptures as an inexhaustible mine of sacred 

treasures. In the Law of the Lord let us meditate day an 1 
night. Before we attempt to deliver evangelical truths hi 

T prfbSr, 

(■i) ViU. si. $5, 



206 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

public, let it be our first care, to penetrate our hearts, in 
private, with an adequate sense of those truths. Let us 
arrange them in the most suitable order : let us adduce and 
compare the several passages of sacred writ, which appear 
to support or explain the particular doctrines we mean to 
insist upon : but, above all, joining faith and prayer to calm 
meditation, after becoming masters of our subject, let us 
humbly ask of God, that tt^VU, that lively and forcible 
elocution, which flows from the unction of grace. 

And here, instead of resting contented with barely re- 
questing, we should labor to acquire what we seek, by fre- 
quently stirring up the gift, that is in us. Let us embrace 
every opportunity of exhorting both believers and catechu- 
mens. Let us carry, with unwearied constancy, instruction 
to the ignorant, and consolation to the afflicted. Let us be 
faithful in reproving sinners of every class, and diligent in 
draining up the children of our parish. 

It is necessary, indeed, to be scrupulously cautious lest 
we abuse the liberty of preaching from meditation, by be- 
coming followers of those, who are more worthy of censure 
than imitation. There are pastors of this kind, who having 
acquired a good degree of spiritual knowledge, and a won- 
derful facility of expression, unhappily begin to pique them- 
selves upon appearing before a numerous assembly, without 
any previous study. Conscious of their own ability, these 
self-sufficient preachers make little or no preparation for one 
of the most solemn duties, that can possibly be discharged. 
They hasten to a crowded auditory without any apparent 
concern ; and, coming down from the pulpit with an air of 
the same easy confidence, with which they ascended it, 
contentedly return to that habitual listlessness, which had 
been merely interrupted by the external performance of a 
necessary work. Alas ! if these presuming pastors could be 
prevailed upon to write over their sermons, to how much 
better purpose might they thus employ their hours, than by 
heedlessly trifling them away in frivolous conversation and 
shameful inactivity ! 

It is not to imitate examples of this nature, that we soli- 
cit the ministers of Christ to recover those hours, which are 
usually employed in composing their weekly discourses. 
How many are the important occupations, of which the 
J faithful 



TjKj: PORTRAIT OK $T. PAUL $07 

fiithful pastor has his- daily choice! The wicked are to be 
reclaimed, and the righteous established. Hope must be 
administered to the fearful, and courage to the tempted. 
The weak are to be strengthened, and (he strong to be ex- 
ercised. The sick must be supported, and the dying pre- 
pared for dissolution. By frequent pastoral visits to hamlets, 
schools, and private houses, the indefatigable minister 
should continually be moving through the several parts of 
his parish ; discovering the condition of those entrusted to 
his care, and regularly supplying the necessities of his flock ; 
diffusing all around instruction and reproof, exhortation and 
comfort. To sum up his duties in a single sentence; he 
should cause the light, that is in him, to shine out in every 
possible direction, before the ignorant and the learned, the 
rich and the poor ; making the salvation of mankind his 
principal pursuit, and the glory of God his ultimate aim. 

Thus, after having faithfully performed the work of arv 
evangelist, when he is about to be removed from his charge 
by death, or by any other providential appointment, he may 
take an affectionate leave of his people, and say; Remember, 
my children, that, while I have sojourned among you, I have 
not ceased to ivarn every one of you* night and day ; and if 
my word has not always been accompanied ivith tears (i), 
yet it has constantly flowed from the truest sincerity and 
affection. 



CHAP. XI. 

A reply to the fifth and last Objection, which may he urged 
against the Portrait of St. Paul. 



T) 



HOSE persons, who have already so earnestly resisted 
the truths for which we contend, will not fail to exclaim in 

T 2 the 

* It is highly reasonable, that pastors should give evening instruc- 
tions to those who have been engaged, through the course of the day, 
in their different callings. This season, whether it be in the more 
dreary, or the more pleasing parFof the year, is peculiarly- suited to 
works of devotion. Such a custom might, at least, prevent many young 
persons from mixing with that kind of company, and hequenting those 
places, which would tend to aiienate.their minds from religion and virtue 

(i) Acts xx. 31, 



208 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL; 

the last p'ace, by way of an unanswerable argument, What 
you require of pastors is unreasonable, in the highest degree. If 
they are indeed caUed to labor for the salvation of souls, with 
the zeal and assiduity of St. Paul, the holy ministry must be re- 
garded as the most painful of all professions, and, of conse* 
quence y our pulpits will be shortly unoccupied. 

■ Mons. Ostervald, who foresaw this objection, has com- 
pletely answered it in his Third source of the corruption, 
which reigns among christians. " It will not fail to be ob- 
ejected," says this venerable author, " that if none were 
" to be admitted to holy orders, except those, who are 
* € possessed of every necessary qualification, there could 
(:i not possibly be proem ed a sufficient number of pastors 
** for the supply of our churches. To which I answer ; 
" that it would be abundantly better to expose ourselves 
*' to tills inconvenience, than to violate the express laws of 
*' the written word. A small number of chosen pastors is 
** preferable to a multitude of unqualified teachers." [One 
Elijah was more powerful than all the prophets of Baal.] 
** At all hazards, we must adhere to the command of God, 
e< and leave the event to providence. But, in reality, this 
" dearth of pastors is not so generally to be apprehended. 
" To reject those candidates for holy orders, whose labors 
* r in the church would be altogether fruitless, is undoubtedly 
" a w 7 ork of piety ; and such alone would be repulsed, by 
€< the apprehension of a severe scrutiny and an exact disci- 
" pline. Others, on the contrary, who are in a condition 
" to fulfil the duties of the sacred office, would take encou- 
" ragement from this exactness and severity ; and the rni- 
4€ nistry would every day be rendered more respectable in 
•' the world. " Behold an answer truly worthy an aposto- 
lical man ! 

If it still be objected, by the generality of pastors, that 
what we require is as unreasonable, as it is unusual : Permit 
me to ask you, my lukewarm brethren, whether it be not 
necessary, that you should use the same diligence in your 
sacred profession, with which your neighbours are accus- 
tomed to labor in their worldly vocations and pursuits ? 

The fisherman prepares a variety of lines, hooks, and 

baits ; he knows the places, the seasons, and even the hours, 

that are most favorable to his employment; nor will he re- 
fill 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 203 

fuse to throw his line several hundred times in a day. If he 
is disappointed in one place, he cheerfully betakes him- 
self to another; and if his ill-success is of any long conti- 
nuance, he will associate with those, who are greater mas- 
ters of his art. Tell me then, ye pastors, who make the 
business of a fisherman the amusement of many an idle hourj 
do ve really imagine, that less ardor and perseverance are 
necessary to prepare souls for Heaven, than to catch trout 
for your table r The huntsman rejoices in expectation 

of the promised cha-e. He denies himself some hours of 
usual repose, that he may hasten abroad in pursuit of his 
game. He seeks it with unwearied attention, and follows 
it from field to field with encreasing ardor. He labors up» 
the mountain ; he rushes down the precipice ; he penetrates 
the thickest woods, and overleaps the most threatening ob- 
stacles. He practises the wildest gestures, and makes use 
of the most extravagant language ; endeavoring, by every 
possible means, to animate both dogs and men in the furi- 
ous pursuit. He counts the fatigues of the chase among 
the number of its pleasures : and through the whole insignia 
ficant business of the day,, he acts with as much resolution 
and fervor, as though he had undertaken, one of the noblest 
enterprizesin the world. . 

The fqwler with equal eagerness pursues his different 
g2me. From stubble to stubble, and from cover to cover^ 
he urges his way, He pushes through the stubborn brake, 
and takes Ills way along the pathless dingle; he traverses 
the gloomy mountain, or wanders devious o'er the barren - 
heath : and, after carrying arms all day, if a few trifling 
birds reward his toil, he returns rejoicing home. 

Come, ye fishers of men ! who, notwithstanding your 
consecration to God, are frequently seen to partake of these 
contemptible diversions; come and answer, by your con- 
duct, to the following questions. Is the flock. committed to 
your charge, less estimable than the fowl, which you so 
laboriously pursue ? Or are you less interested in the salva- 
tion of your. people ; than in the. destruction of those unhappy 
quadrupeds, which give you so much silly fatigue, and . 
aiford you so much brutal pleasure ? 

Permit me, still further, to carry on my argument. Was 
the panting animal, which usually accompanies your stens - 

T3 in 



2 10 THE PORTPA1T OF ST. PAUL. 

in the last mentioned exercise, incautiously to plunge into a 
dangerous pit ; though faint with the labors of the day, and 
now on your return, would you carelessly leave him to pe- 
rish? Would you not, rather, use every eifort, to extricate 
him from apparent death? Could you even sleep or eat, 
till >ou had afforded him every possible assistance ? And 
yet, you eat, } ou sleep, you visit ; nay, it may be, you 
dance, you hunt, you shoot; and that without the least in. 
quieiude, while your flocks are rushing on from sin to sin, 
and falling from precipice to precipice. Ah! if a thousand 
souls are but comparable to the vilest animal, and if these 
&re heedlessly straying through the ways of perdition, may 
we not reasonably exhort you to use every effort in preserv- 
ing them from the most alarming danger, and in securing 
ihem from the horrors of everlasting death ? 

But, passing by those amusements, which so generally 
engage your attention, let me reason with you from one of 
the most laborious occupations of life. You are called to be 
good soldiers of Jesus Christ (a). And can you possibly ima- 
gine, that less resolution and patience are required in a spi- 
ritual warrior, than in an earthly soldier ? Behold the mer- 
cenary, who, for little more than food and clothing, is 
preparing to go on his twentieth campaign ! Whether he is 
called- to freeze beneath the pole, or to melt under the line, 
he undertakes the appointed expedition with an air of intre- 
pidity and zeal. Loaded with the weapons of his warfare, 
he is harassed out with painful marches ; and after enduring 
ihe excessive fatigues of the day, he makes his bed upon 
the rugged earth, or, perhaps, passes the comfortless night 
under arms. In the day of battle, he advances against the 
enemy amid a shower of bullets ; and is anxious, in the most 
tremendous scenes, to give proofs of an unconquerable reso- 
lution. If, through the dangers of the day, he escapes un- 
hurt, it is but to run the hazard of another encounter; perhaps 
to force an entrenchment, or to press through a breach. 
Nothing, however, discourages him ; but, covered with 
wounds, he goes on unrepining to meet the mortal blow. 
AH this he suffers, and all this he performs, in the service of 
his superiors, and with little hope of advancement on his 
own part. 

Behold 
(a) 2 Tim, ii. 3. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 211 

Behold this dying veteran, ye timorous soldiers of an 
omnipotent prince ! and blush at your want of spiritual in- 
trepidity. Are you not engaged in the cause of humanity, 
and in the service of God ? Are you not commissioned to 
rescue captive souls from all the powers of darkness r Do 
you not fight beneath his scrutinizing eye, who is King of 
Kings and Lord of Lords i Are you not contending 
within sight of eternal rewards, and with the hope of an 
unfading inheritance? And will you complain of difficulties, 
or tremble at danger r Will you not only avoid the heat of 
the engagement, but even dare to withdraw from the stand- 
ard of your sovereign Lord? Let me lead you again into 
the field ; let me drag you back to the charge : or, rather,, 
let me shame your cowardice, by pointing you to those 
resolute commanders, who have formerly signalised them=r 
selves under the banners of your Prince. Emulate their 
example, and you shall share their rewards. 

But if, hitherto, you have neither contemplated the 
beauty, nor experienced the energy of those truths, by 
which St. Paul was animated to such acts of heroism ; it is 
in vain, that we exhort you to shine among the foren: 
ranks of christians, as inextinguishable lights, holding up, 
against every enemy, as a two-edged sword (Jb), thz i 
everlasting life (c). Instead of this, it will be neces- 

sary to place before you the excellence and erncacv of this 
Apostle's doctrines, together with the infinite advantat 
which they procure to those, who cordially embrace them. 
And this we shall endeavor to do in the second part of I 
work. Mean while, we will conclude this first part, with a 
short exhortation from St. Chrysostom's fifty-ninth sermon 
upon St. Matthew. li Since the present life is a continual 
94 warfare : since we are at all times surrounded by an b 
** of enemies, let us vigorously oppose them, as our royal 
t( chieftain is pleased to command. Let us fear neitner 
" labor, nor wounds, nor death. Let us all conspire mu- 
" tually to assist and defend one another. And let our 
" magnanimity be such, as may add firmness to the motst 
" resolute, and give courage to the most cowardly.*" 
(b) Heb. iv. 12. (c) Phil. ii. U, 16. 



End of the First Part, 



THE 



PART XL 



The DoBrines of an evangelical Pajlcr*, 

JL HE minister of the present age, being destitute of chris- 
tian piety, is neither able to preach, nor clearly to compre- 
hend, the truths of the Gospel. In general, .. he contents 
himself with superficially declaring certain attributes of the 
Supreme Being; while he is fearful of speaking too largely, 
of.grace or its operations,, lest he should be suspected of. 
enthusiasm. He declaims against some enormous vice, or 
displays the beauty of some social virtue. He affects to 
establish the doctrines of heathen philosophers : and it were 
to be wished, that he always carried his morality to as high 
a. pitch, as some of the most celebrated of those sages. 1£ 
he ever proclaims the Lord Jesus Christ, it is but in- a cursory 
way, and chiefly when he. is obliged to it, by the return of 
particular days. He himself continues the same through all 
seasons ; and the cross of Christ would be entirely laid 
aside, unless the temporal prince, more orthodox than the 
minister, had appointed the passion of our Lord to be the 
preacher's theme, during certain solemnities of the church. 

With the evangelical pastor it is wholly otherwise : Jesus 
Christ, he is able to say with St. Paul, sent me to preach the 
Gospel, not with ivisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ 
should be made of none effect. For the preaching of the cross is, , 
to them that perish, foolishness ; but unto its, which are saved, 
it is the poiver of God. For it is ivritten ; I will destroy the 
vain wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the false un* 
derstanding of the prudent. Hath not God made foolish the 
wisdom of this world ? For after that the tvorld, by this lOisdom, - 
this boasted philosophy, knew not God, but rested in material- 
ism and idolatry ; it pleased God, by the foolishness of preach- 
ing 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 213 

ing, to save them that believe (a). The preaching of the true 
minister, which commonly passes for folly in a degenerate 
world, is that through which God employs his power, for 
the conversion of sinners and the edification of believers. 
It comprehends all that is revealed in the old and new 
Testament : but the subjects on which it is chiefly employ- 
ed, are the precepts of the decalogue, and the truths of the 
Apostles' creed. They may be reduced to four points : 
]. True repentance toward God. 2. A lively faith in our 
Lord Jesus Christ. 3. The sweet hope, which the Holy 
Spirit sheds abroad in the hearts of believers. 4. That 
christian charity, which is the abundant source of all good 
works. In a word, the good pastor preaches, repentance, 
faith, hope, and chanty. These four virtues include all others. 
These are the four pillars which support the glorious temp-e, 
of which St. Paul and St. Peter make the following mention : 
Ye are God's building (b). Ye also, as lively stones, are built 
up a spiritual house (c). 

By searching into the solidity of these four supports, we 
may observe, how vast a difference there is between the 
materials of which they are composed, and that untempered 
mortar, with which the ministers of the present day are 
striving to erect a showy building upon a sandy foundation. 

The evangelical Paflor preaches True Re- 
pentance toward God. 

THE true minister, convinced, both by revelation and 
experience, that Jesus Christ alone is able to recover diseas- 
ed souls, employs every effort to bring sinners into the 
presence of this heavenly physician, that they may obtain of 
him spiritual health and salvation. He is fully convinced, 
that he, who is not weary and heavy laden, will never apply 
for relief; that he, who is not poor in spirit, will constantly 
despise the riches of the Gospel ; and that they, who are 
unacquainted with their danger, will turn a deaf ear to the 
loudest warnings of a compassionate Savior. His fir^t care, 
then, is to press upon his hearers the necessity of an unfeign- 
ed repentance; that, by breaking the reed of their vain con- 
fidence, he may constrain them, with the poor, the miserable, 

the 
(a) 1 Con i. 17—21. (b) 1 Cor, iii. 9. (c) 1 Pet. ii. 5. 



214 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

the blind 9 and the naked, to fall before the throne of divine, 
justice: whence, after seeing themselves condemned by the 
law of God, without any ability to deliver their own souls, 
he is conscious they will have recourse to the throne of 
grace, entreating, like the penitent publican, to be justified 
freely by the grace of God, through the redemption that is in 
Christ Jesus (d). It is in this state of humiliation and 

compunction of heart, that sinners are enabled to experience 
the happy effects of that evangelical repentance, which is 
well defined in the xivth chap, of the Helvetic Confession: 
** By repentance," say our pious reformers, " we mean that 
" sorrow, or that displeasure of soul, which is excited in a 
4( sinner, by the word and spirit of God, &c. By this new 
" sensibility, he is first made to discover his natural corrup* 
" tion, and his actual transgressions. His heart is pi erced 
4t with sincere distress ; he deplores them before God; he 
(t confesses them with confusion, but without reserve ; he 

44 abhors them with an holy indignation ; he seriously re* 

45 solves, from the present moment, to reform his conduct, 
4t and religiously apply himself to the practice of every 
€i virtue, during the remainder of his life. Such is true re- 
" pentance : it consists, at once, in resolutely renouncing 
44 the devil, with every thing that is sinful ; and in sincere- 
i( \y cleaving to God, .with every thing that is truly good* 
4e But we expressly say, this repentance is the mere gift of 
*' God, and can never be effected by our own power (e)." 

It appears, by this definition, that our reformers distin- 
guished that by the name of repentance, which many theolo- 
gists have called the awaking of a soul from the sleep of 
carnal security ; and which others have frequently termed 
conversion. But, if sinners understand and obtain the dispo- 
sition here described, no true minister will be over-anxious, 
that they should express it in any particular form of words. 

How Jin and the necejjity of repentance entered 

into the world. 

OBSERVE the account, which the evangelical minister 
gives, after Moses and St. Paul, of the manner in which that 
dreadful infection made its way into the world, that corrupt 
nature, that old man t that -body of death, which Christ the 

seed 
(d) Rom, i'ii. 24, (e) 2 Tim. ii. 25. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 2U 

seed of the woman came to destroy. When the tempted 
Woman saw, that the fruit or the tree, which God had for- 
bidden her to touch, was pleasant to the eyes, good for food, 
and to be desired to 'make one wise, sl:e took thereof and did eat, 
and gave also anto her husband with her, and he did At 
(f). Thus entered into the very fountain-head of our 

nature that moral evil, that complicated malady, that Oust of 
the flesh, that lust of the eyes , and that pride of life [g), which 
the second Adam came to crucify in the flesh, and which is 
still daily crucified in the members of his mystical body. 

If Jesus Christ never publicly discoursed concerning the 
entry of sin into the world, it was because his sermons were 
addressed to a people, who had been long before instructed 
in a matter of so great importance. On this account, he 
simply proposed himself to Israel, as that promised Me>siah, 
that Son of God and Son of man, who was about to rep.ir 
the error of the first Adam, by becoming the resurrection 
and the life of all those, who should believe in his name. 

St. Paul was very differently circumstanced, when la- 
bouring among tho^e nations which were unacquainted with 
the fall, except by uncertain and corrupt tradition. Behold 
the wisdom, with which he unfolds to the heathen that fun- 
damental doctrine, which was not contested among thejews : 
The frst man Adam, the head of the human species, was made 
a living soul ; but Jesus Christ, the last Adam, was made a 
quickening spirit; and he also is the head of the human 
species, for the head of every man is Christ (h). The first man 
is of the earth, earthy : the second man is the Lord from Heaven. 
As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy [worldly :] 
and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly 
[regenerate.] And as ive have borne the image of the earthy, 
whose souls are already regenerate, shall also bear the 
complete ima^e of the heavenly ; when this mortal shall have 
. put on immortally : for the. flesh and blood, which we have 
from the first Adam, cannot inherit the kingdom of God [i)' m 

As human pride is continually exalting itself against this 
humiliating doctrine, so the true minister as constantly re- 
peats it, crying out in the language of this great Aponle : 
All unregenerate men are under sin ; there is none that under- 
stand eth, 

(f ) Gen. iii. 6. 1 Tim. i'. 14. (g) 1 John il. 15. (h) 1 Cur. xi. 3. 
(i) 1 Cor. xv. 4j— 53. 



2 16 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

standeth, there is none that seeketh after God: they are all go?ie 
out of the way, they are together become unprofitable : the way 
of peace have they not known : there is no fear of God before their 
eyes: we knotv that whatsoever things the law saith, the natural 
or the mosaic law, it saith to them that are under the law : that 
every mouth may be slopped and all the world may become guilty 
before God (k). There is no difference ; for as all have sinned 
and come short of the glory of God, so all equally need the me- 
rits and assistance of Jesus Christ, whom God hath set forth to 
be a propitiation, through faith in Ms blood (I). All those, 
therefore, who, neglecting Christ, rely upon the works of 
the law, are under the curse; and all their endeavors to de- 
liver themselves, by their imperfect obedience, are totally- 
vain : For it is written, cursed is every one, that continueth not 
in alt things, which are written in the hook of the law, to do them. 
Thus, by denouncing maledictions, as dreadful as the thun- 
ders from mount Sinai, against every act of disobedience, 
the law becomes our school-master to bring us unto Christ, that 
we might be justified by faith (m). 

This doctrine is maintained by all the chrifliqn 

churches. 

WHEN an evangelical minister insists upon the fall, the 
corruption, and ihe danger of unregenerate man, he acts in 
conformity to the acknowledged opinions of the purest 
Churches. As I chiefly write for the French protestants, I 
shall here cite the confession of faith now in use among the 
French Churches. ts We believe/'' say they in the ix, x, 
and xi articles of their creed, ts that man, having been creat- 
rc ed after the image of God, fell, by his own fault, from 
" the grace he had received ; and thus became alienated 
" from God, who is the fountain of holiness and felicity ; 
" so that, having his mind blinded, his heart depraved, 
" and his whole nature corrupted, he lost all his innocence. 
<s — We believe, that the whole race of Adam is infected 
" with this contagion ; that in his person we forfeited every 
" blessing, and sunk into a state of universal want and 
" malediction. — We believe also that sin, &c. is a perverse- 
<( ness producing the fruits of malice and rebellion/' 

The 

(k) Kerr. iii. 9-19. (!) Rom. iii. 22—25. (no) Gal. iff. tt>H?4 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 2 17 

The reformed Churches of Switzerland make as humiliat- 
ing a confession. u Man/ 5 say they, <e by an abuse bf Bis 
c ' liberty, suffering himself to be seduced by the serpent, 
" forsook his primitive integrity. Thus, he rendered him- 
" self subject to sin, death, and every kind of misery : and 
" such as the first man became by the fail, such are aR Ids 
" descendants (n)." i( When we say, man is subject to .sin ; 
" we mean, by tin, thai corruption of nature, which, from 
" the fall of the first man, has been transmitted from father 
" to son ; vicious passions, an aversion to that which is 
ce good, an inclination to that which is evil, a disposition to 
ct malice, a bold defiance and contempt of God. Behold 
" the unhappy effects of that corruption, by which we are 
" so wholly debilitated, that, of ourselves, we are not able 
(i to do, nor even to choose, that wdiich is good." Helvetic 
Confession, Chap. viii. 

Every man may find in himself sufficient proofs of these 
painful truths. " God is the creator of man," say the 
Fathers who composed the synod of Berne, " and he 
f * intended that man should be entirely devoted to his God, 
14 But this is no longer his nature; since he looks to crca- 
" tures, to his own pleasure, and makes an idol of himself." 
Acts of Si/ nod, Chap. viii. 

This doctrine is also set forth in the Augsbourg confes- . 
sion ; as well as in the ix and x articles of the Church of 
England, where it is expressed in the following terms : 
< 4 Original sin standeth not in the fallowing of Adam; but 
" it is the fault and corruption of the nature of every man, 
<r whereby he is very far gone from original righteousness, 
" and is of his own nature inclined to evil, so that the flesh 
fi lusteth alway contrary to the spirtt> : and therefore, hi 
".■every person born into this world, it deserveth God'.> 
st wrath and damnation. " — (< The condition of m?.n, after 
" the fall of Adam, is such, that he cannot turn and prepare 
u himself, by bis own natural strength and good works, to 
" faith and calling upon God : wherefore, we have no 
" power to do good- works, pleasant, and acceptable to 
" Gov, without the grace of God by Christ preventing us, 
^" that we may have a good will, and working with us 
" when we have that good wiil." 

U Nothing 

[n) fe rr. i\ {i } 13, 



2 18 *H2 PORTRAIT OF ST. FAUL. 

Nothing less than a lively conviction of the corruption, 
weakness, and misery, described in these confessions of 
faith, can properly dispose a man for evangelical repentance. 

Without evangelical repentance, a lively faith in 
Chrijly or regeneration by the Holy Spirit, 
will appear not only unnecejjary, but abfurd* 

As the knowledge of our depravity, is the source from 
•whence evangelical repentance and christian humility flow ; 
so it is the only necessary preparation far that living faitB, 
by which we are both justified and sanctified. He who 
obstinately closes his eyes upon his own wretchedness, 
shuts himself up in circumstances, which will not suffer 
him to receive any advantage from that glorious Redeemer, 
whom God hath anointed to preach the Gospel to the poor ; to 
heal the broken-hearted; to preach deliverance to the 
captives, and recovering of sight to the blind; to set at 
liberty them that are bruised; to preach the acceptable 
year of the Lord(o). Reason itself declares, that, if 

sinful man is possessed of sufficient ability to secure his own 
salvation, he needs no other Savior, and Christ is dead in 
vain (p). In short, so far as we are unacquainted with our 
degenerate estate, so far the important, doctrine of regener- 
ation must necessarily appear superfluous and absurd. 

Here we may perceive one grand reason, why the mini- 
sters of the present day, who are but. superficially acquainted 
with the depravity of the human heart, discourse upon this 
mysterious subject in a slight and unsatisfactory manner. 

The true minister, on the contrary, following the exam- 
ple of his great Master, speaks upon this momentous change 
with affection and power. Observe the terms, in which our 
Lord himself declares this neglected doctrine : Verily, verily, 
I say unto you, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, 
he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God (q). As though he 
should say ; the natural man> how beautiful an appearance 
soever he may make, is possessed of an heart so desperately 
wicked ; that, unless it be broken by the repentance which 
John the Baptist preached, and regenerated by the faith which 
I declare, he can never become a citizen of Heaven, For 

the 

(o) Luke fir, 13, 19, (p) GaU ii. 21, (q) John iii, 5. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 219 

IWe doors of my Kingdom must remain everlastingly barred 
against those ravening wolves, who disguise themselves as 
sheep (r), and those painted hypocrites, who salute me as 
their Lord, without embracing mv doctrines and observing 
my commands. Verily, therefore, / say unto^you, my first 
disciples and friends, except ye be converted and become as 
Utile children, who are strangers to ambitioip, envious, and 
impure thoughts, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of 
Heaven (s). 

Such is the doctrine, that is still able to convert every 
inquiring Nicodemus. At first it may perplex and confound 
them ; but, at length, submitting to the wisdom of their hea- 
venly teacher, they will cry, Impart to us, Lord, this rege- 
nerating faith : and when once they have obtained their 
request, they will adopt the prayer of the disciples (t), and 
proceed like them, from faith to faith, till all things in their 
regenerate hearts are become new. 

But, if this doctrine is a savour of life unto some, it is 
also a savour of death unto others. It gives offence to blind- 
ed bigots, while modern infidels strengthen themselves against 
it, as Pharaoh once strengthened himself against the authority 
of Jehovah. Ihus saith the Lord, said Moses to that obstinate 
Monarch ; Let my people go, that they may serve me (u) : and 
the haughty infidel replied, Who is the Lord that 1 should 
obey his voice ? 1 know not the Lord, neither will I let Israel 
'go (vv). Come up out of mystic Egypt, saith the Son of God 
to every sinfal soul: Follow me in tlie regeneration (x), and I 
Vvill teach you to worship God in spmiand in truth (y). Av.d 
who is the Son of God ? replies some petty Pharaoh : I know 
neither him, nor his father, nor conceive myself in any wise 
obliged to obey his commands. 

Impious as this language may appear, the conduct of 
every irreligious christian must be considered as equivalent 
to it, according to those words of our Lord : He that despiseth 
my servants, and my doctrines, despiseth me ; and he that des- 
piseth me, despiseth him that sent me (z). Whatever mask 
such a Pharisaical professor may wear, he loves the world ; 
therefore the love of the Father is not in him (a) : he hates botlx 

U 2 Christ 

(r) Matt. vii. 15. (s) Matt, xviii. 3. (t) Luke xvii. 5. 

(u) Exod. *iif. 1. fw) Exod. v. 2. (x) Matt.xix. 28. 

ly\ ' JtfhjMv. S2&- (z) Lake x, 1-6* (a) 1 John u. 15^ 



220 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Christ and his Father (b), his repentance is superficial, his 
faith is vain ; and, sooner or later, his actions or his words 
will testify, that he is an utter enemy to Christ and his 
members. 



IIoiv the faithful Pastor Lads Sinners to "Repentance, 



w 



HAT was spoken by God to Jeremiah, may, in some 
sort, be applied to - the true minister : / have set thee to root 
out and to plant, to pull down and to build (c). For, before 
the sacred vine can be planted, the thorns of sin must be 
rooted up, together with the thistles of counterfeit righteous- 
ness : and before the strong tower of salvation can be erected, 
that spiritual Babel must be overthrown, by which presump- 
tuous men are still exalting themselves against Heaven. 

To lead sinners into a state of evangelical repentance, 
the true minister discovers to their view the corruption of the 
heart, with all the melancholy effects it produces in the cha- 
racter and conversation of unregenerate men. After he has 
denounced the anathemas of the law against particular vices, 
such as swearing, lying, evil -speaking, extortion, drunken- 
ness, &c. he points out the magnitude of two general or 
primitive sins. The greatest offence, according to the law, 
he declares to be that, by which its first and great command 
is violated : consequently, he charges those with living in 
the habit of damnable sin, who love not God above all 
created things ; since they transgress that most sacred of all 
laws, which binds us to love the Deity with all our heart (d). 
Hence, he goes on to convict those of violating a command 
like unto the first, who love not their neighbour as themselves 
(e) :. and to these two sins, as to their. deadly sources,, he 
traces all the crimes, which are forbidden in the Law and in 
the Prophets (f). 

And now he proceeds to lay open, before the eyes of 
professing christians, the two greatest sins which are com- 
mitted under the Gospel dispensation. If the two great 
commands of God, under the new covenant, are to this 
effect ; that we believe on his Son Jesus Christ, and love one 

another 

'(l>; John xv. 24.. (c) ■ Jor. i. 10. (d) Matt. xxii. 57, 33. 

(ej Matt x\Hj9. (j) Matt. XX& 40, 



THE PORTRAIT OK ST, PAUL. 22 1 

ther (g; ; it is evident, that the two greatest sins under 
the Gospel, are, the want of a living faith and an ardent 
charity ; of which, the former unites us to Christ, and the 
latter binds us to mankind in general, as well as to believers 
in particular, with the bands of cordial affection. As dark- 
ness proceeds from the absence of the sun and moon ; so, 
from these two sins of omission, flow all the various offences, 
which are prohibited by the evangelical law. And if those, 
who are immexsed in these primitive sins, are withheld from 
the actual commission of enormous offences, they are not on 
this account to be esteemed radically holy ; since they are 
possessed of that very nature from which every crime is pro- 
duced. Sooner or later, temptation and opportunity may- 
cause some baneful shoots to spring forth in their outward 
conduct, in testimony that a root of bitterness lies deep 
wiihin, and that the least impious of men carry about them, 
a degenerate nature, a body of sin and death. 

To give more weight to these observations, he sets forth 
the greatness of the supreme. Being, enlarges on his justice, 
znd displays the severity of his laws. He tramples under 
fool the pharisaical holiness of sinners, that he may bring 
into estimation the real virtues of the neiv man, ivhich after 
God is created in rigitieousne&s and tme holiness. To aw 7 akerx 
those who are sleeping in a state of carnal securitv, he de- 
nounces the most alarming maledictions, calling forth against 
them the ihunders of tnount Sinai, till they are constrained 
to turn their faces Zion-ward ; till they seek for safety in the 
Mediator ot the new covenant, and hasten to the sprinkling 
of that bhod, uikicji speaheih belter things than dte blood of Abel 

By this method, he conducts his wandering flock to the 
very point where ancient Israel stood, when God had pre- 
pared them to receive the law by his servant Moses. Now 
after the people had heard the thundering?, and the noise of 
the trumpet ; after they had seen the lightnings^ and the moun- 
tain smoking (i) : when, unable any longer to gaze on the 
dreadful scene, they said unto Moses, Speak thou wtik us and 
vk iviUhear; but let not God speak unto us, without a Mediator, 
ksi ive dk (k), — Then it was that Moses be^an to console 

US - 7 th em 

ftj) i John iii. 23. (h) Heb. xii. 24. (i) Esod, X > &t 

(i)Esod.xx, M 



222 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

them in the following words: Fear not : for God is come to 
prove, you, and that Jus fear may be before your faces , that ye sin 
not (1). So in the present day, they only, who are brought 
to this poverty of spirit, are properly disposed to receive the 
riches of divine mercy. As soon, therefore, as the evange- 
lical minister, has sufficiently alarmed a sinner, with the 
terrors discovered upon mount Sinai, he anxiously prepares 
him for the consolations of the Gospel,, by a sight of the 
suffering scene upon Calvary. 

Many pious divines have supposed; that, by preaching 
the cross of Christ alone, mankind might be brought to true 
repentance. What the fathers of the Sjnod of Berne have 
said upon this point, deserves the attention of those, who 
desire successfully to use that spiritual weapon, which is 
sharper than any two -edged sivord (m). 

f( The knowledge of sin," say they, " must of necessity 
" be drawn from Jesus Christ. The Apostle writes thus, 
*l God conwiendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet 
fi sinneis, Christ died for us ■■(«). It follows, that sin must 
.•* have made us abominable and extremely hateful, since the 
cf Son of God could no other way deliver us from the burden 
" of it, than by dying in our stead. Hence, we may con- 
t: ceive, what a depth of misery and corruption there is in 
4i the heart ; since it was not able to be purified, but by the 
" sacrifice of so precious a victim, and by the sprinkling of 
* f . the blood of God," i. e. of a man miraculously formed, 
in whom dwelt all the fidness of the Godhead bodily (o). 
f* The Apostles have clearly manifested the sinfulness of our 
* f nature, by the death of Christ; whereas the jews, after 
" all their painful researches, were not convinced of sin by 
41 the Law of 'M05.es. After a solid knowledge of sin has 
" been drawn from the passion of cur Lord, there will na- 
" turally flow from this knowledge a true repentance; that 
€i is, a lively sorrow for sin, mingled with the hope of future 
" pardon. To this necessary work the Holy Spirit also 
" powerfully contributes, bringing more and more to the 
*' light, by its mysterious operations, the hidden evils and 
" unsuspected corruptions of the heart; daily purifying it 
" from the filthiness of sin, as silver is purified by the fire." 
Acts of Synod, chap, viii, ix, xiv. 

How 
(1) Exocf. xx. £0, (m) He!). \\\ 12, (n) Rom. v, $. (o) Colos* ii. 9, 






THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAVL. 223 

How the Prophets, Jesus Christ, his Forerunner, and his Apostles, 
prepared Sinners for Repentance. 



E 



iVER faithful to the word of God, the minister of the 
Gospel endeavors to humble the impenitent, Tby appealing 
to the sacred writers, and particularly to the declarations of 
Jesus Christ. 

The corruption of the heart is the most ancient and dread- 
ful malady of the human race. Man had no sooner made 
trial of sin, but he was driven by it from an earthly paradise 
(p) : and so terrible were its first effects, that the second man 
was seen to assassinate the third (q). This moral contagion 
encreased thro* every age to so astonishing a degree, that, 
before the deluge, God saw that the wickedness of man was 
great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of 
his heart was only evil continually (r). After the flood, God 
still declared the imagination of man's heart to be evil from his 
youth (3), The heart of man, saith he again long after that 
time, is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: ivho 
can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins (t). 

Our Lord himself, who perfectly knew what was in man 
(u), being the physician who alone is able to heal us, and 
the Judge who will render to every one according to his 
works ; our Lord has described mankind as alienated from 
the chief good, filled with aversion to his people, and enemies 
to God himself. I send you forth, saith he to his disciples, 
as lambs among wolves (w). If the world hate you, ye know, 
that it hated me before it hated you. If ye were of the iv or Id, 
the world would love his own ; but, because I have chosen you 
out of the world, that ye should walk in my steps, therefore 
the tvor Id hateth you. If they have persecuted me, they will also 
persecute you (x). All these things will they do linto you, for 
my name's sake; because, notwithstanding their deism and 
polytheism, they know not him that sent me : for he that hateth 
me, hateth my Father also (y). These things have I told you, 
thai, when they shall chase you from their churches, as de- 
mons would chase an Angel of light, ye may remember that I 
told you of them (z) . 

The 

(p) Gen. iii. 24. (q) Gen. iv. 8. (r) Gen. vi. 5. (s) Gen. riii. 21. 

(t) Jev. xvii. 9, 10. (u) John ii. 25. (w) Luke x. 3. (x) John xv. 

18, 19, 20. (y) John xv. 21, 23. (z) John xvi. 4. 



22i 'ffie PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

The jews were doubtless, in one sense, the most enlight-' 
ened of all people; seeing they offered to the true God a 
public worship unmixed with idolatry, were in possession 
of the Law of Moses, the Psalms of David, together with 
the writings of the other Prophets, in which the duties re- 
quired of man, both with respect to God and his neighbour, 
are traced out in the most accurate manner. Nevertheless, 
Jesus Christ represents this enlightened people as univer- 
sal! 3' corrupted, in spite of all these advantages: Did not 
Moses, saith he to them, give you the Luw? and yet none of 
you keepeih the Law (a).. 

What appears most extraordinary in the sermons of our 
Lord, is, the zeal with which he bore his testimony against 
the virtues of those jews, who were reputed men of uncom- 
mon devotion. Although they piqued themselves upon 
being eminently righteous, he declared to his disciples, that,, 
unless their righteousness should exceed the righteousness of the 
.scribes and pharisees, they should,, in no case, enter into the 
Kingdom of H eaten (b). And. observe the manner,.] ft which 
he generally addressed those religious impostors : Woe unto 
you,, scribes and pharisees,. hypocrites ! for ye make clean the 
outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of 
extortion and excess f full of covetous desires and disorderly 
passions]. Thou blind, pharisee, cleanse frst that which is- 
within ? -that the outside may be clean also (e). 

Nothing is more eorrimon than that blindness, which 
suffers a man to esteem himself better than he really is ; and 
this blindness is, in every period and in every place, the 
distinguishing characteristic of a pharisee. The species of 
hypocrisy, with which St. Paul was once infected, agrees 
perfectly well with the ordinary sincerity of sinners, who 
Mindly regard amusements the most trifling and expen- 
sive, as allowable and innocent pleasures ; who look upon 
theatre's, as schools of virtue ; intrigue and deceit, as pru- 
dence arid fashion - y pomp and profusion, as generosity and 
decorum ; avarice, as frugality ; pride, as delicacy of sen- 
timent 5 adultery, as gallantry; and murder, as an affair of 
honor. 

To all such modern christians, may we not, with pro- 
priety, repeat, what our Lord once openly addressed to 

their 
(a) John vii. 19. (U) Matt. v. 20.. (c) Matt. xxii : ..25, 26.: 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 225 

their pred ecessors ? Without doubt, we are authorised to 
cry out against them, with an holy zeal; Woe unto you, hy- 
pocrites / for ye are like unto united sepulchres, which indeed 
appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's 
bones, and of all uncleanness (d). Ye outwardly appear righ- 
teous unto :mn, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity : 
of hypocrisy, because, your virtues have more of appearance 
than solidity ; and of injustice, because you render not that 
which is due to God, to Cesar, or to your fellow-creatures, 
whether it be adoration, fear, honor, support, or good- 
will (e). 

But, if the depravity of the Jews in general, and of the 
pharisees in particular, appears abundantly evident ; mus 
we suppose there were no. happy exceptions among them • 
Let the royal Prophet answer this question — The Lor? 
looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see z * 
there were any, that did understand and seek God. They are all 
gone aside, they are altogether become filthy: there is none that 
doeth goody no /zotone[:) t But were not the disciples of our 
Lord to be considered in a different point of view ? No : 
even after the extraordinary assistance afforded ihem by the 
Son of God, the Apostles themselves did but confirm the 
sad assertion of the psalmist. Our Lord, upon whom no 
appearances could impose, once testified to James and John, 
that, notwithstanding their zeal for his person, they were 
unacquainted with his real character; and that, instead of 
being influenced by his spirit, they were actuated by that of 
the destroyer (g). Ye then, being evil; said he to all his 
disciples (h) : Have not I chosen you txelve, and one of you is 
a devil {[) t One of you shall betray me — Peter, who is the 
most resolute to confess me, shall deny me thrice — and all ye 
shall be offended because of ?ne(k). Lastly : our Lord con- 
stantly represented the un regenerate, as persons diseased 
and condemned. They that are whale, said he, have no need of 
the physician ; but they that are sick : I came not to call the 
righteous, but sinners to repentance (I). Ye are of this world ; 
therefore I said unto you, that ye shall die in your sins : for if 
ye believe not that I am He, and refuse to observe the spiri- 
tual 

(cl) Matt, xxiii. 27. (e) Matt, xxiii. 27. (f) Psalm xiv. 2, 3. 

\f) Luke ix. 55. (h) Matt. rii. 11. (\) John vi, 70, 

(k) Matt, xxvi, '21, 34, 31. (!) Mark u. 17. 



226 TfcE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

lual regimen I prescribe, ye shall die in your sins (in). Ex- 
apt ye repent, ye shall perish (n). 

It is notorious, that John the Baptist prepared the way 
of his adorable Master, by preaching the same doctrine; 
O generation of vipers, said he to the phariseesand sadducees, 
to the profane and professing part of the nation, who hath 
warned you to flee from the ivraih to come ? Bring forth there- 
fore fruits meet for repentance (o). 

It is equally well known, that the disciples were in- 
structed, by Christ himself, to tread in the steps of his 
forerunner: It behoved, said he, Christ to suffer; and thai 
repentance should he preached in his name among all na+ 
tions{p). Hence, an Apostle was heard to cry out; God 
now commandeih all men every where to repent (q). And, at 
other times, the same divine teacher was inspired to write, 
as follows: We, who are Jews by nature, and not sinners of the 
gentiles, were by nature the children of wrath even as others (r) ; 
for we were sometimes foolish, disobedient , deceived, seizing 
divers lusts and pleasures , living in malice and envy, hateful and 
hating one another (s). 

The same doctrine was constantly held forth by the 
other Apostles, as well as by St. Paul. In time past, saith 
St. Peter, we have wrought the will of the gentiles, walking in 
lasciviousness, lusts, revellings, &c. (t). The whole world lieth 
in wkkedne ss, saith the beloved John {\x) ; and St. James 
solemnly testifies, that every friend ofifo world is the enemy 
of God\w). 

This humiliating doctrine, which the world universally 
abhors, is a light too valuable to be hidden under a bushel : 
and till it is raised, as it were, upon a candlestick of gold., 
we can never hope to see the visible church enlightened 
and reformed. 

Obfervationsupcn the repentance of 'worldly men. 

IF it be enquired, Do not all ministers preach repent- 
ance ? we answer ; that, ordinarily, true ministers alone 
preach true repentance. The preachers of the day, as they 

are 

(in) John viii. 23, 24. (n) T.uke xiii. 5. (o) Matt, iii. 7, 8. 

([>) Luke fctfv. 46, 47. (q) Acts xvii. 50. (r) Gal. ii. 15; 

Epfa. ii. 3. (s) Tit. iii. 3. (t) 1 Pet. iv. 3. (u) 1 John v. 19. 

(w) James iv. 4. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 227 

ave conformable to the world in other things, so they are 
perfectly contented with practising the repentance of worldly 
men. Now as he, who receives only base coin, cannot 
possibly circulate good money ; so he, who satisfies his own 
heart with a short-lived sorrow for sin, cannot possibly give 
free course to that evangelical repentance, which the Gospel 
requires. And it is observable, that the hearers of such ill-, 
instructed scribes, generally fix those bounds to their repent- 
ance, which are satisfactory to their impenitent pastors. 

The repentance, we here condemn, may be known by 
the following marks. 

t. It is superficial, and founded only upon the most 
vague ideas of our corruption : hence, it cannot, like that of 
David and Jeremiah, trace sin to its source, and bewail the 
depravity of the whole heart (x). 

2. It h pharlsaica! } regarding only outward sins. The 
righteousness of the pharisees rested upon the most trifling 
observances ; while they neglected those weighty commands 
of the Law, which respect the love of God and our neigh- 
bour (y). They afflicted themselves, when they had not 
scrupulously paid the tenths of their herbs ; but they smote 
not upon their breasts, when they had rejected the glorious 
Gospel of Jesus Christ. In the same dangerous circumstances 
are those penitents of the present day, who are less sorrow- 
ful on account of having offended God and rejected Christ, 
than that they are become objects of ridicule, contempt, or 
punishment, by the commission of some impious or dishonor- 
able action. We frequently hear these false penitents 
bewailing the condition to which they have reduced them- 
selves, and giving vent to the most passionate expressions of 
sorrow. But, when are they seen to afflict themselves, 
because they have not been wholly devoted to God? Or 
when do they shed a single tear at the recollection, that they 
have not cherished their neighbour as themselves ? Are they 
ever heard to lament the want of -that faith in Christ, which 
ivorketh by love (z) f Are they ever engaged in seeking after - 
that communion of saints, by which believers become of one 
heart and one soul ? Alas I so far are they from this, that they 
continue equally tranquil under the maledictions of the Gospel, 

as 
(x) P^alai U. 5. Jer. xvii, 9, (y) Matt, xxiii, 23. (z) Gal. v. 6. 



228 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL 

as under those of the Law. They hear, without terror, those 
dreadful words of the Apostle ; If any man love not the Lord 
Jesus Christ, let him be anathema maranaiha (a) : and though 
they neither love nor knoiv him, yet they vainly look upon 
themselves as godly mourners and unfeigned penitents. 

3. This repentance is unfruitful, inasmuch as penitents 
who repent after this manner, are utter strangers to com- 
punction of heart. None of these are constrained to cry out, 
Men and brethren, what shall we do (b) f They come not to the 
Redeemer, among such as are weary and heavy laden (c). 
They have no experience of that godly sorrow, by which the' 
true penitent dies to sin : and so far are they from being born 
again of the spirit ; that they neither expect, nor desire, any- 
such regeneration. In short, this repentance is rarely as 
sincere as that of Judas; who confessed his sin, justified the 
innocent, subdued his ruling passion, and returned the mo- 
ney he had so dearly gained. 

Evangelical repentance is an incomprehensible work to 
the generality of ministers. Wherever it appears, they are 
prepared to censure it; and are earnest in exhorting men to 
fly from it, rather than request it as a gift from God. Thus, 
when they behold any one truly mourning under a sense of 
sin; smiting upon his breast, with the publican; stripping 
off, w ith St. Paul, the covering of his own righteousness; 
and enquiring, with the convicted jailor, what must I do to be 
saved (d) ? they suppose these to be certain signs of a deep 
melancholy: they imagine the conversation of seme enthu- 
siast- has driven the man to despair, and will not scruple to 
•affirm,, that he has lost the proper use of his reason. So 
true it is, that the natural man receiveth not the things of die 
spirit of God (e), nor is even able to form any just ideas of 
that repentance, which is the first duty imposed upon us by 
the Gospel, and the first step toward that holiness, without 
which no man shall see the Lord. 

The moralist* of the present time acknowledge that all 
men are sinners ; but they neglect to draw r the just conse- 
quences from so sad a truth. To be found a sinner before 
an infinitely holy and just God, is to forfeit, at once, both 
our felicity and existence. To appear as an offender in the 

eyes 

(a) I Cur. aVi. 22. (b) Acts ii. 37. (<•) Matt, xi. 28. (d) Acts SfciriJ 30. 

(e) 1 Cor., ii. 14, 



THE PORTRAIT O? ST. PAUL, 229 

eves of our all-seeing Judge, is to lie in the condition of a 
broken vessel, which the potter throws aside as refuse : it is 
to stand in the circumstances of a criminal, convicted of vio- 
lating the most sacred laws of his Prince. The two most 
important laws of God are those, wh'ch require piety toward 
himself, and charity toward our neighbour. Now, if we 
have violated both the one and the other of these laws; and 
that, times without number ; it becomes us not only to con- 
fess our transgression, but to consider our danger. When 
a traitor is convicted of treason, or an assassin of murder, be 
immediately expects to hear his sentence pronounced : and 
thus, when a sinner confesses himself to be such, lie make? 
a tacit acknowledgment, that sentence of death might justly 
be pronounced upon him. 

Some persons are naturally so short-sighted, that the? 
can only discover the mo>t striking objects about them. 
Many in the moral world are in similar circumstances, to 
whom nothing appears as sin, except impieties or the grossest 
kind. If v\e judge of God's commands according to the 
prejudices of these men, idolatry is nothing less than the act 
of prostrating ourselves before an idol; and murder i.s merely 
the act, by which a man destroys the life of his fellow-crea- 
ture. But, if these deluded persons could contemplate sin iii 
a scriptural light; if they could avail themselves of the Law 
of God, as of an observatory erected for sacred meditation, 
their moral view would be sufficiently strengthened to dis- 
cover the following truths. 

1. If we have not, at all times, placed a greater confidence 
in the Creator, than in any of his creatures; if we have 
either feared or loved any one more than our celestial parent 
we have then really set up another God, in opposition to 
the Lord of heaven and earth. 

2. If, neglecting to worship him in spirit and truth, we 
have suffered ourselves to be seduced by any splendid vanity 
of the age, we have sinned, in the same degree, as thougli 
we had fallen down before a molten ima^e. 

o 

S. If, in our conversation, our reading, or our p ravers, 
we have ever irreverently pronounced the name of God] we 
have then taken that sacred name in vain : and God himself 
declares, that he will net hold such a one guiltless. 

W 4. U 



230 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

4. If we have refused to labor diligently, thro' the week, 
in the work of our particular calling ; or if we have ever 
made the sabbath a day of spiritual indolence and frivolous 
amusement; — then we have neglected and broken that Law 
which we are peculiarly commanded to remember, and keep. 

5. If we have, at any time, been wanting in obedience, 
respect, or love, to our parents, our pastors, our magistrates, 
or to any of our superiors; or if we have neglected any of 
those duties, which our relations in society, or our particular 
vocation has imposed upon us, we have merited that God 
should cut us off from the land of the living. 

6. If we have weakened our constitution by excess of 
any kind ; if we have struck our neighbour in a moment of 
passion ; if we have ever spoken an injurious word ; if we 
have ever cast a look directed by malice; if we have ever 
formed in our hearts a single evil wish against any person 
whatsoever; or if we have ever ceased to love our brother ; 
•• — we have then, in the sight of God, committed a species 
of murder (f). 

7. if we have ever looked upon a woman with any other 
feelings than those of chastity (g) ; or if we have, at any 
time, cast a wishful glance upon the honors and pleasures of 
the world:; we have sufficiently proved the impurity of our 
nature, and must be considered, as living in enmity with 
God (b), 

8. If we have received the profit annexed to any post 
or employment, without carefully discharging the duties in- 
cumbent upon us, in such situation ; or if we have taken 
advantage either of the ignorance, or the necessity of others, 
in order to enrich ourselves at their expence ; we may justly 
rank ourselves with those, who openly violate the eighth 
command. 

9. If we have ever offended against truth in our ordinary 
conversation ; if we have neglected to fulfil our promises, 
or have ever broken our vows, whether made to God or 
man ; we have reason, in this respect, to plead guilty before 
the tribunal of immutable truth. 

10. If we have ever been dissatisfied with our lot in life ; 
if w r e have ever indulged restless desires, or have given way 

to 
(0 1 John iii. 15. (g) Matt, v. 28. (h) James iv. 4. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PACL. 23d 

to envious and irregular wishes ; we have then assuredly 
admitted into our hearts that covetousness, which is the; 
root of every evil. 

When St. Paul considered the Law, in this point of view, 
he cried out : It is spiritual ; but I am carnal, sold under sim 
(i). And when Isaiah, passing from the letter to the spirit, 
discovered the vast extent of the decalogue, he exclaimed ; 
Vt r oe is me ! for I am a man of wick an lips t and J divell in the 
midst of a people of unclean lips (k). If our self-applauding 
moralists would be persuaded to weigh their piety in the 
same balance, they would find it as defective, at least, as 
that of Isaiah and St. Paul. 

Here, perhaps, some objecting pharisee may say; if I 
have sinned in some degree, yet I have not committed such 
crimes as many others have done : and I trust, that God will 
not be severe in attending to trifling sins. But, 1 . These 
pretended trifling sins are ordinarily of so great a number, 
that the multitude of them becomes equivalent to the enormity 
of those crimes, which are rarely committed: so mountains 
and seas are but collections of grains of sand and drops of 
water. 

2 k Every voluntas transgression argues a real contempt 
of the Legislator's authority ; and in such contempt there is 
found the seed of every sin that can possibly be committed, 
in opposition to his express command. Ail the commands 
of God, whether they be great or small, have no other 
sanction than that which consists in his divine authority; 
and this authority is trampled under foot, by every petty 
delinquent, a> well as by every daring transgressor. 

3. Those, which we usually esteem trivial sins, are the 
more dangerous on account erf their being less attended to. 
They are committed without fear, without remorse, and 
generally without intermission. As there are more ships of 
war destroyed by worms, than by the shot of the enemy ; so 
the multitude or those, who destroy themselves through ordi~ 

s >/>.*, exceeds the number of those who perish by enorr 
won* o fences. 

4. We have a thousand proofs, that small sins will lead 
a man, by insensible degrees, to the commission of greater. 

W 2 Nothing 

(i) Rom, . vii, 14. (k) Isaiah vi. 5, 



232 TITS PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Nothing is more common among us than the custom of 
swearing, and giving way to wrath without reason ; and these 
aj'e usually regarded as offences of an inconsiderable nature. 
But there is every reason to believe, that they who have 
contracted these vicious habits, would be equally disposed 
to perjury and murder, were they assailed by any forcible 
temptation, and unrestrained with the dread of forfeiting 
their honor or their life. If we judge of a commodity by 
observing a small sample ; so by little sins, as well as by 
trivial acts of virtue, we may form a judgment of the heart. 
Hence, the widow's two mites appeared a considerable ob- 
lation in the eyes of Christ ; who judged, by them, how 
rich an offering the same woman would have made, had she 
been possessed of the means. For the same reason, those 
frequent exclamations, in which the name of Goo is taken 
in vain, those poignant railleries, and those frivolous lies, 
>vhich are produced in common conversation, discover the 
true disposition of those persons, who, without insult or 
temptation, can violate the sacred laws of piety and love. 
The same seeds produce fruit more or less perfect, according 
to the sterility or luxuriance of the soil in which they are 
■sown. Thus the very same principle of malice which leads 
a child to torment an insect, acts more forcibly upon the 
heart of a slanderous woman, whose highest joy consists in 
mangling the reputation of a neighbour : nor is the cruel ty- 
rant actuated by a different principle, who finds a barbarous 
pleasure in persecuting the righteous, and shedding the 
blood of the innocent. 

If prejudice will not allow these observations to be just, 
reason declares the contrary. The very same action that, 
in certain cases, would be esteemed a failing, becomes, in 
some circumstances, an offence; and, in others, an enormous 
crime. For instance — If I despise an inferior, I commit a 
fault ; if the offended party is my equal, my fault rises in 
magnitude ; if he is my superior, it is greater still : it he is a 
respectable magistrate — a beneficent prince — if that prince 
is my sovereign Lord, whose lenity I have experienced after 
repeated acts of rebellion ; who has heaped upon me many 
kindnesses ; who means to bestow upon me still greater fa- 
vors : and if, after all, I have been led to deny and oppose 
him, my crime is undoubtedly aggravated, by all these cir- 

cumstanccs, 



THE - POrvTfc-AlT OTST. PAUL. 233 

cumstances, to an extraordinary degree. But, if this offended 
benefactor is Lord of Lords and King of Kings — the Creator 
of man — the Monarch of Angels — the Ancient of days ; 
before whom the majesty of ail the monarchs upon earth 
disappears, as the lustre of a thousand stars is eclipsed by the 
presence of the sun — if this glorious Being has given his 
beloved Son to suffer infamy and death, in order to procure 
for me eternal life and celestial glory — my crime must then 
be aggravated in proportion To my ovvnmeauness, the great- 
ness of benefits received, and the dignity of my^ exalted 
Benefactor. But our imagination is bewildered, when we 
attempt to scan the enormity, which -these accumulated cir- 
cumstances add to those acts of rebellion denominated sins B 

Thev, who are not working out their salvation xvkhfear 
and trembling (I), must necessarily live in the practice of some 
constitutional sin; and this self-indulgence, however secret 
it may be, will not suffer them to perceive the demerit of 
their daily transgressions. An old debauchee, whose chief 
delight has been in seducing women : or an infamous mur- 
derer, who has shed human blood like water; may as easily 
conceive the horror that adultery and murder excite in virtu- 
ous souls, 

Before wecan form a rational judgment of sin and the 
punishment it deserves, it becomes us to entertain just ideas 
of moral order ; to mark the obligation laid upon the supreme 
legislator to maintain that order by wholesome laws; and to 
discover, in some degree, the sanctity, the excellence, and 
the extent, of those absolute commands. It is necessary to 
understand thedependanee of the creature upon the Creator ; 
3ince the image, formed by the presence of an object before 
a mirror, is not more dependant upon that abject, than all 
orders of created beings depend upon the Creator : if he 
withdraws his protecting hand, they are no more ; if be 
stretches out the arm of his vengeance, they are plunged, 
at once, into an abyss of misery. We must'rerlect upon all 
the various obligations, under which we lie to the Almighty, 
as Creator, Preserver, Redeemer, and Comforter. We must 
consider those examples of his vengeful justice, which he 
has placed before our eyes, on purpose to awaken our fears ; 
together with the unmerited favors, by which he lias con- 

W 3 S{ant ly 

(1) Phil, ii. 12, 



234 THE POP.TRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

slant!;/ sought to engage our grateful affection. It becomes 
us, likewise, to observe the vanity of all those appearances, 
by which we are allured into sin : and., lastly, it is necessary 
to remember, that God will bring every ivork into judgment, 
v:kh every secret thing (m). While we pay not a proper 
attention to every one of the*e circumstances, we must ne- 
cessarily form an imperfect judgment concerning the nature 
of sin, the severity with which God has determined to punish 
it, and the greatness of that expiatory sacrifice, by virtue of 
which his justice and his mercy unite in pardoning the peni- 
tent. 

When the law of God is wilfully transgressed, it is ridi- 
culous in any man to attempt the justification of himself, by 
pleading, that he has committed no enormous crimes; or 
that, if ever he has been guilty of any such offences, his 
good actions have always been sufficient to counterbalance 
their dement. Frivolous excuses! Is not one treasonable 
act sufficient to mark the traitor ? Is not that soldier punished 
as a deserter, who flies his colors but a single time ? And 
does not a woman forfeit her honor, by one moment of 
weakness ? 

Though we grant, there are some sins of a peculiarly 
atrocious kind; yet, as murder will always appear, before 
an earthly tribunal, according to its horrible nature; so sin 
will ever be considered as such, before an infinitely holy 
God. If a man, accused of having wilfully poisoned a 
ieiiow-creature, should address his judge in terms like these j 

— The charge brought against me is just : but let it be con- 
sidered, that the person I have destroyed was only an infant 

— that he was the child of a common beggar— and that libi* 
is the only murder I have committed through the whole of 
my life. On the other hand, J have been a constant bene- 
factor to the poor ; and surely a thousand acts of charity 
will abundantly outweigh one little dose of arsenic. No ; 
the Judge would answer ; when you prolonged the life of 
the indigent by your alms, you merely performed a duty, 
which is universally required of every worthy citizen ; and 
the law allows you nothing on this account. But, if you 
have given the smallest dose of poison to any human creature^, 
with an intent to destroy his life, the law pronounces you a 
murderer, and will punish you as such. 

After 

(m) Ecclcs. xii. 14, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 235 

After our first parents had offended, by eating the for- 
bidden fruit, they had but vainly excused themselves, in 
saying; c We have gathered only that, which appeared to 
be of little worth — we have tasted it but once — moreover, 
our labor in the garden is of much greater value than the 
fruit we have taken. Lord ! condemn us not to death for 
so inconsiderable an offence/ Such, however, are the fri- 
volous excuses, with which every blinded moralist contents 
his seared conscience, and w T ith which he hopes to satisfy his 
omniscient judge. When St. Paul was one of this class, he 
practised upon himself the same delusions. Capable only 
of natural sentiments, the hidden truths of a spiritual law 
were not only incomprehensible, but vain and foolish things 
in his estimation. This we learn from the following passage 
in his epi*tle to the Romans : / was alive without the law once, 
paying little attention to the spirituality of its precepts, or 
the severity of its threatenings ; and indulging no suspicion 
either of my corruption, or my condemnation. But, when 
the commandment came, in its spiritual energy, sin revived, 
assuming an appearance suited to its infernal nature, and, 
receiving a sentence of death in myself, 1 died,, I had not 
then known sin, but by the laio: for I had not known hist, which 
is the source of every evil, and the first cause of our con- 
demnation, except Mlie law had said, Thou shalt not covet (n). 

Every sincere christian, in imitation of this Apostle, may 
with propriety say; There are various sins, which I had 
never seen as such, but by the light of the Gospel : for ex- 
ample, I had lived in security w T ith respect to abusing the 
faculty of speech, and had never known the Almighty's in- 
tention of judging me upon that article, if Christ himself 
had not openly declared ; Every idle word that men shall speak, 
they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment ; for by thy 
words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shale be 
condemned (o). If those, who trust in their own righteous- 
ness, would seriously examine themselves by the twofold 
law of Moses and of Christ, they would form a new judg- 
ment of their spiritual circumstances, and pass, with St. Paul, 
from the state of the pharisee, into that of the publican. 

Further — - sins of omission, as well as those of commis- 
sion, are sufficient to draw upon us the maledictions of the 

law, 
(n) Rom. yii. 9, 7. (o) Matt. xii. 36, 37. 



236 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL 

law, which equally commands us to do good, and to abstain 
from evil. O [fences of this nature are seldom regarded as 
sins, by the generality of mankind : and hence, they are 
wholly unalarmed at the recollection of them. To lack di* 
ligence in our duties, moderation in our joys, attention in 
our prayers, and zeal in our devotions ; to live without 
gratitude toward our divine benefactor, w Lthout resignation 
under losses, patience in affliction, confidence in God dur- 
ing times of clanger, and content in the state to which he 
has called us ; to want humility toward our superiors, courte- 
sy toward our equals, affability toward our inferiors, meek- 
ness toward those who displease us, faithfulness to our word, 
strict truth in our conversation, or charity in the judgment 
we form of others — All these are things, that never disturb 
the repose of a worldly man ; nor does he esteem them as 
real offences in the sight of God. He considers not,, that 
an inattemive nurse may as effectually destroy a child, by 
withholding from it proper nourishment, as by obliging it to 
sip a poisonous draught ; that a soldier would be condemned 
to death, if the enemy should surprise a. town while he was 
sleeping on his post, equally as though he had been busy in 
opening the gates for their admission ; and that Christ repre- 
sents the want of an holy fervor, as the grand reason why 
lukewarm christians excite hi him the utmost detestation and 
abhorrence (p). An entire chapter in the Gospel is employed 
to teach us, that sins of omission wilt constitute the principal^ 
cause of a sinner's condemnation at the last day. The sloth- 
ful servant is cast into outer darkness, not, for having robbed 
another of his talent; but for the non-improvement of his 
own: the foolish virgins are excluded from the marriage 
feast, not for having betrayed the bridegroom; . but because 
they were unprepared to receive him : and every christian 
is acquainted with that terrible sentence, which shall one 
day be pronounced upon the wicked — Depart from me ye 
cursed; for I ivas an hungered, and ye gave tne no meat : ckc<, 
(q). To have that religion, which is pure and undefiled before 
God, it is not only necessary, that we keep ourselves imspottcd 
from die world, but we must also wit the fatherless and it'z- 
doivs in their affliction (r) ; relieving the unfortunate to the 
utmost of our ability, and exerting our whole power in 
spreading truth and happiness among all around us. 

Thus 
(p) Rev. iii, 16. (c-Q Matt. xxv. (r) James i. 27. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 237 

Thus hunted, at length, from many a dangerous shelter, 
unhumbled sinners will still presume to adopt the following 
plea — We pray, we fast, we give alms, we receive the holy 
sacrament : and what more do you require ? Such was 

the foundation of the ancient pharisees' hope : but Christ 
and his Apostles overthrew their vain confidence, by the 
same arguments, which evangelical ministers are stiil obliged 
to turn against multitudes of religious professors, who in- 
dulge an exalted opinion of their own contemptible merits. 

The Gospel requires, say these faithful pastors, that, to 
the external marks of religion, you should be careful to add 
humility and charity : and if these two capital graces are 
wanting, your religion is but a body without a soul (s). 
You have received the holy sacraments of our church : but 
what salutary effects have they produced in your life and 
conversation ? The circumcision, which saved the jews, was 
not the circumcision of the flesh, but that of the heart (t) : 
and the baptism, which saves christians, is not that by which 
the body is sprinkled with water, but that which purifies 
the soul(u). So the passover, which was acceptable to 
Gordon the part of the jews, consisted not simply in eat- 
ing the paschal lamb ; but in penetrating their souls with 
gratitude, on recollecting the many wonderful deliverances, 
which the Almighty had wrought for his people. And the 
communion, which is acceptable on the part of christians, 
consists not merely in receiving the consecrated elements, 
as various classes of sinners are accustomed to do; but in 
uniting themselves to the Lord by a living faith, and to all 
his members by an ardent charity. You pray — And did not 
the pharisees so ? yea, they were remarkable for their long 
and zealous prayers : but, alas ! while they acknowledged 
God with their lips, thei) hearts were far from him (w). 
You give alms — but, if you mean with these to purchase 
Heaven, you do but deceive your own souls ; while your 
pretended charity degenerates into insolence : or, if you 
merely seek to procure the reputation of being charitably 
disposed ; you have your reward. Yow fast — but, if you do 
this chiefly through custom, or through respect to the or- 
ders of your Prince, your fast can no more be counted nefc- 

P"ft 

(s) 3 Tim. iii, 5. (t) Rom. ii. 29. (u) 1 Pet. iii. 21, 
(w) Isaiah xxix. 13. 



£38 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL 

gious, than the regimen prescribed you by a physician i 
and it these fasts have not produced in you a sincere re- 
pentance, and a true conversion, however you may regard 
them as acts of devotion, they are, in reality, no other than 
acts of hypocrisy. Moreover, the pharisees fasttd twice in 
the week ; while you, it may be, are among the number of 
those, who imagine they have made a valuable sacrifice ta 
God, by abstaining from a single repast in a year. 

As pharisaical moralists have sought out so many inventions 
(x) to evade the necessity of an unfeigned repentance ; 
and as philosophizing christians rise up with one consent 
against this doctrine of the Gospel ; we shall conclude this 
subject, by disclosing the sources of their common error. 

1. There are phantoms of virtue, or virtues purely 
natural, which pass in the world for divine. But, who ever 
imagined the dove to be really virtuous, because she is not 
seen, like the eagle, to make a stoop at birds of a weaker 
frame than herself? Or, who supposes wasps to be generous 
insects, because they are observed mutually to defend them- 
selves, when their nest is attacked ? Is not the conjugal and 
maternal tenderness of the human species apparent, rn an 
eminent degree, among various tribes of the leathered kind ? 
And do we not see, among bees and ants, that ardent pa- 
triotism, which was so highly extolled among the Romans ? 
Does not the spider exhibit as manifest proofs of ingenuity 
and vigilance, as the most industrious artist ? And do not 
carnivorous animals discover all that fearless intrepidity,, 
which is so universally boasted of by vain-glorious heroes ? 

Let us not mistake in a matter of so much importance: 
as nothing but charity can give to our alms the value of good 
works, so nothing less than the fear of God, and a sincere 
intention of pleasing him, can give, to our most valuable 
propensities, the stamp of solid virtues. If we could com- 
pletely expose the worthless alloy, which worldly men are 
accustomed to pass off as sterling virtue, many of those, 
who now esteem themselves rich in good works, would be 
constrained to abhor themselves, and repent in dust and 
ashes (y). 

2. Many persons indulge too favourable ideas of the 
human heart, through their ignorance of that unsullied pu- 
rity, 

(x) Eccles. vii. 29. (y) Job xiii. 6„ 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 239 

nty, which God requires of his intelligent creatures. They 
judge of themselves and others, as a peasant judges of a 
theme replete with solecisms, who, far from expressing the 
discernment of a critic, admires the vast erudition of the 
young composer. Thus, some external acts- of devotion 
are applauded by undiscerning christians, as commendable 
works, which, in the sight of God, and before holy spirits, 
appear altogether polluted and worthy of punishment. 

3. If we are sometimes deceived by our own ignorance, 
we more frequently impose upon others by our innate hy- 
pocrisy. Unregenerate men, after having thrown a cloak 
over their distinguishing vices, are anxious to make a pa- 
rade of virtues, which they do not possess. The proud 
man is, sometimes, observed putting on the garb of humi- 
lity, and, with the most lowly obeisance, professing himself 
the very humble servant of an approaching stranger. Im- 
, modesty is frequently masked with an affected air of chas- 
tity and bashfulness ; hatred, envy, and duplicity, vail 
themselves under the appearances of good -nature, friend- 
ship, and simplicity : and this universal hypocrisy contri- 
butes to render its practitioners less outwardly offensive, 
than they would otherwise be ; as an unhandsome woman 
appears less defective, to a distant beholder, after having 
nicely varnished over the blemishes of her face. 

4. It frequently happens, that one vice puts a period 
to the progress of another. Thus vanity, at times, obliges 
us to act contrary to the maxims of avarice, avarice con- 
trary to those of indolence, and indolence contrary to those 
of ambition. A refined pride is generally sufficient to over- 
come contemptible vices, and may influence us to the per- 
formance of many exterior acts of virtue. Hence, the 
impious and sordid pharisee went regularly to the temple; 
he prayed, he fasted, he gave alms ; and, by all these ap- 
pearances of piety and benevolence, acquired the commen- 
dation of the world. Society makes a kind of gain by 
these acts of dissimulation, which are as the homage paid 
to vmm by vice, and by impiety to devotion. But, notwith- 
standing every plausible appearance, that can possibly be 
put on, when the minister of the Gospel declares the fall 
of man, together with the absolute need of regeneration, he 
is supported at once, by revelation, reason, and experience. 

5. If 



240 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAtJL. 

5. If the moral disorder, with which human nature h 
infected, appears not always at its utmost height, it is be- 
cause regeneration having commenced in many persons of 
every rank, the wicked are overawed by the influence of 
their example. Add to this, that God restrains them as 
with a bridle, by his providence, and by those motions of 
conscience, which they vainly endeavour to stifle. It is 
notorious, that the fear of public contempt and punishment 
is sometimes able to arrest the most abandoned in their vi- 
cious career; since they cannot discover what they really 
are, without arming against themselves the secular power. 
Thus the terror, which prisons and gibbets inspire, con- 
strains ravening wolves to appear in the garb of inoffensive 
sheep. But is it possible, that innocence so constrained 
should be accounted of any value, even among heathens 
themselves ? It is impossible, since we find one of their 
own poets declaring — 

Odcntnt peccare mali, formidine poena* 

The wicked abstain from mischief, thro' fear of punishment. 

And all the recompense, he conceives due to such guiltless 
persons, consists in their not becoming the food of ravens upon 
u gibbet : 

non pasces in cruce corvos. 
6. If servile fear is sometimes the cause of our inno- 
cence, necessity is more commonly the cause of our apparent 
virtues. A youth of any modesty is generally cautious 
among his superiors, who afford him neither money to 
indulge, nor liberty to discover, his inclinations. Now, if 
this forced discretion should, at length, become habitual to 
him, he may in such circumstances esteem himself a vir- 
tuous man ; because he has not, like the son of a dissolute 
courtier, plunged himself into every kind of impiety : where- 
as had he enjoyed but equal liberty with the licentious rake, 
lie might have surpassed him in every sinful excess. On the 
other hand, when an infamous voluptuary, enfeebled either 
by age or by his frequent debaucheries, finds it absolutely 
needful to live in more sober and orderly style, immediately 
lie takes himself for another Cato; not considering, that 
necessity alone is the source of his temperance. The least 
excess disorders his health, and the weakness of his sto- 
mach obliges him to abstain from those luxurious feasts, 

which 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUX. £il 

which he can still converse of with so much sail s fact! on. 
If such a one is virtuous, because no longer able to rush 
into his former excesses ; then we may prove the most in- 
-corrigible robber to be an honest man, while the irons are 
on his hands, or when, scared by the officers of justice, he 
flies to some- secret retreat. Has that woman any reason 
to boast of her virtuous conduct, who was never solicited 
by those men, who were most likely to have triumphed 
over her modesty? And yet, many such, filled with self- 
approbation, will frequently applaud their own innocence, 
placing that to the account of* virtue, which was merely 
owing to providential circumstances; or, perhaps, to the 
want of personal attraction. Such plausible appearances no 
more merit the commendation due to solid virtue, than the 
sickly wolf, who peaceably passes by a. flock of sheep, can 
be said to deserve the caresses, which a shepherd bestows 
upon his faithful dog, 

7. Effectually to impose upon others by a "beautiful out- 
side, we practise a deeper deceit upon our own hearts ; and 
very frequently we succeed as well, in hiding from our- 
selves our own evil dispositions, as in concealing from others 
our unworthy actions. Coutd we discover all that secretly 
passes in the world, Ve should not want demonstrative 
proofs of the depravity of the human heart. But why need 
we go abroad in search of a truth, which is easily evidenced 
at home ? Had we ourselves but dared to have executed 
openly, what we have acted in imagination, when our iras- 
cible or concupiscible passions have been roused, w'here 
should we have hidden our guilty heads, or how should we 
have escaped the sword of justice? Convinced too late of our 
degenerate nature, we should, haply, have smitten upon our 
breasts, with the repentant publican^ adopting long ago his 
humiliating confession, in the anguish of our sou!s. Every 
thinking person must allow, that, had evil intentions fallen 
under the cognizance of human laws ; and had the secular 
power possessed equal ability to punish them, as it punishes 
those actions, of which they are the very root and soul ; 
the whole earth must, in such case, have become as vast 
a scaffold, as it is now a place of graves. Can it be ne- 
cessary to multiply observations upon this head, when the 
Almighty, whose mercy and justice are infinite, sufficiently 
declares the universal depravity of mankind, by the variety 

X of 



24-2 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

of scourges, with which He is constrained to punish both 
Individuals and commonwealths ? 

S. If the children of this world are unable to form any 
just conception of the human heart and its evil propensities, 
it is because they are in the number of those natural men., 
of whom the Apostle Paul makes mention (z). And such, 
having a natural antipathy to the Gospel, while they are 
ever ready to cast reproach upon the faithful, are equally 
prepared to favor those of a like disposition with themselves. 
Thus Herod, Caiaphas, and Pilate, mutually overlooked 
the faults of each other, while they united in accusing and 
persecuting Christ. 

It is usual with those, who are destitute of true religion, 
to esteem some among their sinful companions as moral and 
well-disposed men : but, were they themselves to be con- ' 
verted, their error, in this respect, would soon become ap- 
parent. Upon daring to oppose any torrent of impiety, 
with the zeal of their heavenly Master, instead of finding 
among their associates any natural disposition to real virtue, 
they would meet with indisputable proofs, in spite of a 
thousand amiable qualities, that all unregenerate men re- 
semble one another in their enmity against God (a). Yes ; 
whether they inhabit the banks of the Thames, or the 
Seine; the lake of Genesareth, or that of Geneva ; they 
*ire, in the sight of God, as filthy $ivi?ie trampling under 
foot the pearls of the Gospel (b), or like ravening ivolvcs (c) 
outrageously tearing in pieces the Lamb of God. 

It might, perhaps, have been objected, that this Portrait 
is overcharged, had not Christ himself, who is immutable 
Truth and unsearchable Love, pencilled out the gloomiest 
traits observable in it. Following such a guide, though we 
may give much offence, yet we can never err. 



The second point of Doctrine, insisted upon by the true Minister > 
is a Living Faith. 

JL O shew the necessity of repentance, without publishing 
the remission of sins through faith in Jesus Christ, would be 

to 
(z) 1 Cor, ii. 14. (a) Bom. viii. 7. (b) Matt. vii. 6. 

(c) Matt, vii. 15. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 21-3 

to open a wound without binding it up. It would be leading 

- to the brink of a tremendous gulph, and cutting off 

:heif retreat. But nothing can be more 

itention of the faithful minister, than to 

miseries of man, or ultimately to aggravate his 
distress. 

When he has discovered to his hearers that natural pro- 
hich manifests its existence in every heart, 
by a *. . ".. nal transgressions : when he has con- 

by the; word of God, and by an appeal to 
conscience (a), that they are unable to deliver 
iselveSj either from that fatal propensity, or its dreadful 
lences : after he has thus demonstrated the need in 
which they stand of a Redeemer, who hath all power in 
Heaven and in earth (b) — if they harden not their hearts (c) ; 
if they stand, like the hrst sinner, nuked and trembling be- 
fore God (d)j having received the sentence of death in them- 
selves (e) — in a word, when they cry out, like the publicans 
and soldiers alarmed by the preaching of John, what shall 
tpe do (f) ? They are tnen properly disposed to receive the 
glorious Gospel of Christ (g), and will be enabled to expe- 
rience its powerful effects. From this time, the evangelical 
pastor : [lately preaches remission of si'ns, through 

faith in the name of a merciful Redeemer. 

This is tfie very same method, which Christ and his 
forerunner pursued. Behold the Lamb of G 
away the sins of the world, was the cry of John the Baplist (h). 
And h said our Lord, are the poor in spirit; for : 

:}. Qod so k world, 

BEJLIEVETE 

but have evt lasii : lift : . Ht 

BELIEVETH OH the Sc 
BELIEVETH JlOt the Si 

Mm [1). 

; but it . 
j of sacred consolation, s 

Ags .en it was enquire 

the . . :.;, : . : it :. 

X2 ^ of 

M". it. Q. Matt, xxviii. IS. [c) Psaltfi xC*. 8. 

Gen.iii. 10. (e) 2 Cor. i. 9". I :e Hi. 12. 

- C )•.. ii (h) 29. ;;,.-. -.. 1 

(k) Johniii. H\ (\) J h (m)Jobfl k. U. 



24*4 THE PORTRAIT OP ST. PAUL.. 

of God? Jesus said unto them ; This is the work of God, that 
ye believe on him, whom he hath sent. And this is the will of 
him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son and believ- 
eth on him, may have everlasting life : and I will raise him 
vp at the last day '(n). Thus it was, that our adorable 
Master proclaimed salvation, through faith in himself: and, 
indeed, it was for this end alone, that he appeared upon 
earth; as we learn from the last address he made to his 
disciples — It behoved, said he, Christ to suffer, and to rise 
from the dead the third day, that remission of sins should be 
preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem x 
the abode of his murderers (o). 

Observe the great commission, given to those messen- 
gers of peace. Go ye into all the world, and preach the 
Gospel to every creature: he that believeth and is baptized 
Shall be saved : but he that believeth not shall be damned 
(p). To the same purpose was the commission, with which 
the Apostle Paul was afterwards honored. 1 have appeared 
wilo thee, said the persecuted Jesus, for this purpose, to make 
thee^a minister and a witness to the gentiles, unto whom I newt 
send thee, to open their eyes, to turn them from darkness to 
light, and from the power of Satan unto God, that they may 
receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among them that are 
sanctified, by faith, that is in me (q). 

The Apostles unanimously preached in obedience to ' 
the orders, and in conformity to the example, of their bene- 
volent Lord. And all true ministers, instructed by the same 
divine teacher, continue to proclaim the glad tidings of 
the Gospel, through faith in Jesus Christ ; laying as much 
Stress, in all their sermons, upon this efficacious grace, as 
the Apostle of the gentiles v\as accustomed to do, in all his 
epistles. Take a few instances of St. Paul's usual custom 
in this respect. — After having convinced the Romans of 
their corruption and misery, he sets before them the redemp- 
tion that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a 
propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righte- 
for the remission of sins that are past : that he might 
be just, and the just far of him which believeth in Jesus (r). 
Therefore, continues lie, being justified by faith, we have 

peace with God, through our Lord Jesus Chrtst\$). To 

the 
(n) John vi. 28, 29, 40. (o) Lukexxiv. 46. (p) Maik xvi. 15, 16. 

(q) Acts xxvi. 16, 17, IS. (r) Rom. iii. 24, 25, '26. (s) 1 Cor. xv. I, 2 9 



THZ PORTRAIT OP ST. PAUL. 245 

the Cc: "-Brethren, J declare unto you the 

kh I f reached unto you, which also received, 

. stand ; by which also ye are saved, unless ye 
believed in vain (>) . For ye are justified in the flame of 
- i). God hath n ?d 21s to himself by Jesus 

Committed : \,d of reconciliation: 

God was in reconciling the iLorld : 

imputing their trespasses lotto them : —For he hath 
. -, ti ". . [ :.w ::o sin, that we tight be 
/ f God in him (u). To the Ga- 

--Kitou :\ ; a man is not justified by tl*e wo rks of 
... hut h the faith nf Jesus Christ, even ice have 
Christ, that we might be justified 
:~ .: ■-. and not the works oft'. 1 (vv). Beibre 

; r the Law. Wherefore the Luvj 
was oi school to bring us unto Christ : but, cr 

Faitj we are fid more under a school 

: I Of God, by FAITH . [xj. 

To .. : ::,s. — Blessed be the God and Father of 

i idem accepted Bda~ 

1 we hart redemption through his blood, 

By grace are ye saved, through faith : 
.: the gift of £ :. trks 9 

j . [..ally, my brethren, — 

t all, taking the shield of 

. . ; jlcench a 

.). To the Phiiippians. — Stand/ 

- together for the fait:: 
Christ Jesus, and have no con* 
—Yea, J - - - t all l 'ngs but loss, that I 
. .:..:• mine awn 
r the Ld\ deli is through the 

: by faith 

To the Colos.-ians. — it pleased the Father, that 

\ Son] should all fulness dwell ; and (having made 

) ly him to reconcile all 
alien :cd 3 

and. ath he reconciled in 

the 

.-. 1. :. 1 Cor. vi. 11. (u) 2 Gov. v. IS. 21. 

- : ■ . h.i 3. t ; ', 

(z) : (a) E^h. vi. i0 ; ii; 16. (fr)Pl i . 

3 .6,9. 



2'kj THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

the body of his flesh through death, to present you holy and un~ 
blameable in his sight; if ye continue grounded and settled in the 
faith (d). As ye hate therefore received Christ Jesus the 
Lord, so ivalk ye in him; rooted and built up in him> and sta- 
Wished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein 
with tJtmksgiving (e). To the Thessa-lonians. — Let 

us, who are of the day, be sober, putting on the breast-plate of 
> a it ii : for God hath not appointed us unto wrath; but to ob- 
tain saltation by our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, that, 
whether zve wake or sleep, we should live icgeiher with him (f )«. 
We are hound to thank God always for you, brethren ; because, 
that your faith groweth exceedingly. — Now the Lord shall 
co*ne to be glorified in his saints, arid to be admired in all them 
i-:at believe. Wherefore, we pray that our God ivould fulfil 
in you the work of faith 'with power ; that the name of our 
Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you, and you in him (g). 
To Timothy. — 5 his is a faithful saying, and worthy^ 
of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save 
sinners, of whom I am chief. Flowbeit, for tins cause I ob- 
tained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all 
Long-sufFering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter? 
£ eli eve on him to life everlasting (h). For God our Savior 
will have all men to* be saved r and to come unto the knowledge 
of the truth : for there is one God^ and one Mediator between - 
God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who crave himself a ixinsom 
for all (i). Great is the mystery of godliness: God ivas mani- 
fest in the flesh, _ justified in the spirit, seen of Angels, preached 
unto the gentiles, believed on in the world, received up into 
glory (k). God hath saved.us, [that is to say, hath put us in 
possession of the same present salvation, which the sinful: 
woman experienced, who, while she prostrated herself at 
the feet of Jesus in faith and prayer,., received from him.. 
these consolatory sentences; TMy sins are forgiven thee. Thy 
faith hath saved thee ; go in peace (1).] God kith saved usX 
not according to our, works, but according to his own* grace,: 
which was given, us in Christ Jesus - — who hath abolished death, 
and hath brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel 
(m). To Titus. — Paid, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, 

to Tiius^mine own son after the common faith ".grace, mercy y. 

and 

((]) Col.j. 19, 93. (e) Col. ii. 6, 7. (f) 1 Thes. v. 8, 10. . 

(e) 2 Thes. i. 3, 1& (h) 1 Tim. i. 15, 16. (i) 1 .Tim. ii. 3, 6. 
(k) 1 Tim. iii. 16, (I) Luke vii. 48, 30.. (m) 2 Tim. i. 8,. 10, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 24-7. 

and peace, from God the Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ oar 
Savior (n), who gave himself for us y that he might redeem as from, 
all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous 
of good works (o). We ourselves ivere sometimes disobedient ; 
hut, after that the kindness and love of God our Savior toward 
man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, 
hut according to his mercy, he saved us — that, being justified by 
his grace, we should be made heirs of eternal life (p). 
To Philemon he writes — Grace be to you, and peace from God 
our Father, and the Lord Jesus Christ . / thank my God, hearing 
of thy faith, which thou hast toward the Lord Jesus Christ; 
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit (q). 
Thus a persecuted Savior became the Alpha and. tlie Omega* 
of this great Apostle. 

In his epistle to the Hebrews he uses the same language. 
It begins and concludes with Him, who is the Beginning and 
ih e End of all things (r). God, saith he,, hath in these last 
days spoken unto us by his Son, by whom also he made the worlds J 
Who being the brightness of his Father's glory and the express* 
image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his 
povjer, when He had by lumself 'purged our sins, sat down on the 
right hand of the Majesty on high (s). It became Him, for 
ivhotn are all things, in bringing many, sons unto gloiy, to make 
the Captain of their Salvation perfect through sufferings. For- 
amiuch, then,, as the children are partakers of fiesh and blood, 
He also Himself took part of the same; that, through deqfh^. 
He mvjht destroy him that had the povcer of death, that is Vie 
Devil; and deliver them, who, through fear of death, were all- 
their lifetime subject to bondage (t). Though he were a Son, 
yet learned He obedience by the things which He suffered: and, 
being made perfect, He became the author of eternal salvation 
(u). This man, because he com inueth ever, hath an unchange- 
able priesthood. Wherefore,. He is able to save them to the 
uttermost, that come unto God by Hi?n, seeing He ever liveih 
to make intercession for them (w). Having, therefore, . w* 
High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near in full as- 
surance o/ faith (x). Now faith is the substance of things 
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen : for by it the elders 
obtained a good report, who, through faith, subdued kingdoms , 

wrought 

(n) Tit. i. 1, 4. (o) Tit. u. 14. (p) Tit. iii, 3, 7. (q) Phi*. 

(r) Rev. xxii. 13.. (s) Heb. i. 1, 2, 3. (?) Heb. ii. 10, 15. 

(u) Heb. v.. 3, 9. (w) Hab. vn. 24, 25. (x) Heb. x. 21, 22, 



24S THE P'ORTKAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

thought righteousness, obtained premises, stopped the mouths of 
lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, 
out ofwecdcness were made strong, ivaxed valiant in fight, turned 
to fight the armies of the aliens (y)'. Wherefore, seeing we arc 
compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us run 
with patience the race that is set before us, lakfking unto Jesus, 
the author and finisher of our faith (z). Now the God of 
peace — make you perfect in every good work to do his will, work- 
ing in you that which is leell-pleamig in his sight, through Jesus 
Christ : to tvhom be glory for ever and ever (a). 

The same Savior, whom St. Paul was so anxious to de- 
clare in his epistles^ he as constantly preached in his sermons. 
He was no sooner converted, but, slraitway, says Si. Luke, 
he preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God 
(b). Take an abridgement of the first of his ser- 

mons, which is left upon record, and which was preached 
at Antioch in Fisiciia. After asserting the fulfilment of that 
glorious premise, which had been anciently given respecting 
the birth of our omnipotent Savior, he cries out; Men and 
brethren, children of the stock of Abraliam, ana I whosoever among 
youfcureih God, to you is the word of this salvation sent. For 
the inhabitants and rulers of Jerusalem, because they knew him 
not, nor understood the sense of those prophecies, which 
are read every sabbath-day, have given them their sad com- 
pletion, by condemning the Lord of life and glory. Though 
they found no cause cf death in Him, yet desired they Pilate, that 
He should he slain. And when they had fulfilled all that zvas 
written of Hun, thty laid him in a sepulchre. But CrOD, after 
three days, raised Him triumphantly from the grave : and 
lie was seen many days of his wondering disciples, whom He 
continued to visit and instruct even after his resurrection,, 
that they might become his' witnesses to the people. And now,. 
We declare unto you, that God hath fulfilled (he promise which 
was made unto the fathers, i?i that He hath raised up Jesus from 
the dead. Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, 
that through this Man is preached unto you the forgiveness of 
sins: and by Him, all that believe, arc justified from all things, 

from which ye could not be justified by the Law of Moses. Be- 
ware, therefore, lest that come upon you, which is spoken of in 
the Prophets: Behold, ye despise) s, and wonder and perish : for 

J work 

(v) Ileb. xi. I, 2, :Y6 7 34. (z) fteb xii. 1, 2. (a) Heb, >:ii-.20, 21. 

(b) Acts ix. 20. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 249 

Sometime afterwards, St. Paul delivered a sermon in the 

(orison at Philippe the capital of Macedonia. St. Luke, 
lis historian, has not favoured us with this discourse ; but he 
lias transmitted to us the subject matter of it. Despairing 
sinner, said the Apostle to the affrighted jailor, who lay 
trembling at his feet, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou 
shalt be saved and thy house. After hearing thus much, the 
astonished man collected his family together, and the Apos- 
tle continued his discourse, declaring unto them all the ivord 
of the Lord. Such are the small remains we are able 

to collect of this excellent sermon. But, though we are un- 
acquainted with its several parts, we know that it was at- 
tended with the happiest effects : for, before the return of 
day, this converted jailor, snatched from the very brink of 
destruction, was seen, with all his believing family, re- 
joicing in God (f)» 

When the same Apostle was afterwards appointed to 
speak before the senate at Athens, he could not, with pro- 
priety, set before those unhumbled philosophers, the mystery 
€>f the Gospel (g). But, after bearing a public testimony 
against their superstition and idolatry, he pressed upon them 
the necessity of an unfeigned repentance; announcing 
Christ as an omniscient judge, that he might afterwards 
proclaim him as the compassionate Savior of men (h.) To 
the same purpose was that other sermon, which he delivered 
before the tribunal of Felix; when the roman Governor 
was seen to tremble under the power of an Apostle's preach- 
ing (i). The little effect produced by these two last-men- 
tioned discourses, may be brought as a proof, that the most 
momentous truths are hidden from tliewise and prudent, while 
they are revealed unto babes (k). 

It was by proclaiming the same mighty Savior, that St. 
Stephen obtained for himself the first crown of martyrdom 
among the christians. Behold an abridgement of his cele- 
brated apology. Men, brethren, and fathers, you accuse me 
of having spoken blasphemously against Moses. But, on 
the contrary, I publicly acknowledge him as the deliverer 
of our fathers, and gladly embrace this opportunity of rea- 
soning with you from the character of that favored Prophet. 
He once supposed that, by certain of his actions, his brethren 

would 

(f) Actsxvi. (g)Eph. vi, 19. (h) Acts xvii. (i) Acts xxlv. 23. 
(k) Malt. xi. 25. 



250 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

would have understood, how that God by his hand would de~ 
liver them. But so far were they from understanding any 
such matter, that one of them thrust him away, crying out 
in an insulting manner, Who made thee a ruler and a judge 
ever us ? This Moses, however, whom they thus refused, was 
chosen of God to be their future prince and deliverer. 
This is thai Moses, who said unto the children of Israel, a 
Prophet shall the Lord your God raise up unto you of your bre- 
thren, like unto me; a Prophet, whom you will at first reject, 
as you rejected me ; but who, nevertheless, when you 
shall receive him, will deliver you out of spiritual EgH-pt, 
as I once delivered you from the land of bondage, when 
you gave credence to my word. This promised Savior has 
already made his appearance among us, whom ye have 
rejected to your own condemnation. As our fathers re- 
jected Moses in [he wilderness, thrusting him from them, 
and in their hearts turning back again into Egypt ; so you 
have rejected your greater Deliverer. Ye uncircumcised in 
heart and ears, ye do always resist the Holy Ghost : as your 
fathers did, so do ye. Which of the Prophets have not your 
fathers persecuted ? And they have slain them which shewed 
before of the coming of the just one ; cf whom ye have been 
now the betrayers and murderers : ye who have received the 
Law, by the disposition cf Angels, and have not kepi it (1), 

That the powerful preaching of the Gospel is sometimes 
made the savour of death unto death (m), is surliciently clear 
from the following account. After Stephen had finished 
this discourse, the hearts of his hearers were transported 
with rage, insomuch that they gnashed upon him with their 
teeth. Mean- while the holy martyr continued to proclaim 
Christ; and, far from being intimidated by their threaten-- 
ings, looking stedfastly up to heaven, in a kind of ecstacy, 
produced by the strength of his faith, the vigor of his hope, 
and the ardor of his love, he cried out ; . I see the heavens 
opened, and the Son of. Man standing on the right hand cf 
God. And while the multitude ran upon him with stones, 
alter committing his own soul to the care of his exalted 
Savior, he cried, with a loud voice ; .. Lord, lay not this &ffl 
to their charge. Behold an apology, which was 

looked upon, by the preachers of that day, as replete with 



(J) Actsvii. (m) l 2 Cor. \\. 16. 



lguocaiicc 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 251 

ignorance and fanaticism, though delivered by an Evange- 
list, who was filled with faith, with power, and with the 
Holy Ghost ! 

The same doctrine was preached by the Evangelists, 
who were dispersed abroad by the persecution excited 
against Stephen, and was followed by the benediction of 
the Lord. For we find that some of them, entering into 
the city of Antioeh, spake unto the Grecians there, preach- 
ing the Lord Jesus ; and the hand of the Lord was with them, 
•so that a great number believed, and turned unto the 
Lord (n). 

We shall go on to select a few proofs, that all the 
Apostles were of one heart in this matter, preaching Jesus 
Christ as the Savior of all those, who believe in him. 

Though St. James professedly wrote his epistle against 
the error of those, who had destroyed the law of charity, 
by an imaginary faith in Christ ; yet so far is he from despi- 
sing the substantial faith of believers, that, as the servant of 
God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, he exhorts false brethren to 
seek after and manifest it by" its proper fruits. He even 
employs a species of irony to point out the necessity of 
this powerful grace : Shew me thy faith without thy works, 
and I will shew thee my faith by my works (o). He inti- 
mates, that our faith must be tried by divers temptations, in 
order to our becoming perfect and entire berbre God: 
whence we learn, that, according to his judgment, the per- 
fection of christians absolutely depends upon the perfection 
of their faith (p). On this account, he exhorts us to ask 
wisdom in faith (q). And, lastly, he declares, that the 
prayer of faith shall be powerful enough to procure health 
for the sick, and remission for the sinful (r). 

There needs no more than an attentive perusal of this 
epistle, to convince us, that St. James announces a faith 
which saves the christian, by producing in him hope, cha- 
rity, ana every good work. 

The same doctrine was inculcated by St. Peter, both in 
his sermons and epistles. Three thousand souls were con- 
verted, while he cried out, upon the day of Pentecost : Ye 
men of Israel, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among 

you, 
00 Acts xi. 19, 20, 21. (o) James ii. 18. (p) James i, % 4. 
(q) i. 6. (i) o, 15. - 



252 THE PORTRAIT OF Sf . PAUL. 

you, by miracles, and ivonders, and signs ; him, being delivered 
by the determinate counsel of God, ye have taken, and by tvicked 
hands have crucified and slain : whom God hath raised up, 
having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that 
lie, who is the resurrection and the life ($) r should be holden of 
it. This Jesus j therefore, being by the right hand of God exalted, 
hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear. Therefore, let 
all the house of Israel assuredly know, that God hath made 
that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Clrrist. 
Now when the convinced multitude enquired m their distress* 
Men and brethren, what shall we do ? Peter answered and 
said : Repent and be baptized every one of you [that is to say, 
first cordially believe, and then by baptism make a public 
confession of that faith] in the name of Jesus Christ for the 
remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost 

(0- 

His second discourse was to the same effect. TJie God 
of our fathers hath glorified his son Jesus, whom ye delivered up 
and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to 
let him go. But ye desired a murderer to be granted unto you, 
and killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised from the 
dead; ivhereofwe are witnesses. And faith in his name hath 
tfladti this man strong, who??i ye see and know, yea, the faith 
which is by him, hath given him this perfect soundness, in the 
presence of you all. — And now, brethren, repent ye and be con- 
verted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of 
refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord (u). 

His apology before the council was founded upon the same 
divine truths. Be it known unto you all, and to all the people 
of Israel, that, by the name of Jesus of Nazareth, whom ye cru- 
cified, whom God raised from the dead 9 even by him doth this 
man stand here before you whole. This is the stone, which was 
set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the 
corner. Neither is there salvation in any otha y : for there is none 
other Name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be 
saved, (w). Thus St. Peter, filled with the Floiy Ghost, 

spake the word of God with boldness, and with great power 
gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus (x). Even 
after being commanded to speak no more in the name of 

Jesus 

(s) John xi. 25. (t) Acts ii. (u) Ac*s iii. 15, 19. 

(w)iv. 10,12. (x)iv. 31,33. 



THE POPvTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 253 

a>, he' departed from the council, rejoicing that he was 
counted worthy to suffer shame for his Master's sake: and 
daily In the temple, and in every house, he ceased not to teach 
arid preach Jesus Christ (v). 

The fourth sermon of this Apostle perfectly corresponds 
with the foregoing. This discourse was delivered in the 
house of Cornelius the Centurion, to whom an Angel had 
before revealed, that Peter should declare unto him things, 
whereby both himself and his house should be saved. Of 
all the sermons which have ever been preached, this was, 
perhaps, the most effectual,; since it is observed, that the. 
Holy Ghost fell on all them, which heard the word. Take 

an abridgment of this powerful discourse. God halh pro- 
claimed peace to the children of Israel, by Jesus Christ, whoitc 
they sieve and hanged on a tree. But He, being raised again 
by the power of God, commanded us to preach unto the peo- 
ple, and to testify, that it is He, which was ordained of God, 
to be the judge of quick and dead. To Him give all the Prophets 
witness, that whosoever believeth in Him shall I receive remis- 
sion of sins (z). 

And, as in his sermons, so also in his epistles, St. Peter 
was ever anxious to declare salvation through faith in the 
name of Je?us Christ. 

Peter, an Apostle of Jesus Christ, to the elect of God; Blessed 
be God, who hath begotten us again unto a lively hope, by the 
resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an hdieritance in- 
corruptible, reserved in Heaven for you, who are kept by the 
power of God, through faith, unto salvation (a). It is con* 
tuined in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, 
elect, precious: and he, that beljeveth on Him, shall not be 
confounded. Unto you, therefore, which believe, He is 
precious: but, unto them, which be disobedient, He is made a 
■le of stumbling, and a rock of offence (b). 

The second epistle of St. Peter was written for the con- 
firmation of the weak, and the establishment of the strong. 
In the frr-i verse, Christ is represented as the author and 
finisher ot four faith: in the last, the glory of our salvation is 
expressly ascribed to the same divine person : and these 

* two 

(?) Acts v.40 ; 4?, (z) x. 56, 45. (a) 1 Pet. i. 1, 5. 

(b) ii, 6, 8. 



25-i THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

two verses may be given, as an abridgment of the whole 
epistle. 

This powerful faith, and this adorable Savior, were as 
constantly proelaimed by the Apostle John. Though St. 
Luke has not transmitted to us any extracts from his dis- 
courses, yet his doctrine is sufficiently manifest in his epistles. 

If any wan sin, saith this favored Apostle, ive have an 
Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: and He 
is the propitiation far our sins (c). He teas manifested to take 
away our sins — And this is the commandment of God, that ive 
should beli*:v,e on the name of his Son Jesus Christ (d). 
Wl.osoevjr believeth, is born of God — whatsoever is bom 
of God, over cometh the world : and this is the victory that ovei*- 
cometh the world, even our faith (e). These things have I 
written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, 
that ye may Imoiv that ye have eternal life, and that ye may yet 
more stedfastly believe (f). 

Many deceivers, continues the same Apostle in his se- 
cond epistle, have entered into the world, who confess not that 
Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an 
Antichrist. Whosoever abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, 
hath not God ; he, that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, hath 
both the Father and the Son (g). Here St. John, foreseeing 
die melancholy revolution that would one day be effected 
in the church by these antichristian teachers, notwithstanding 
his natural gentleness, cries out against them, with an holy 
indignation; If there come any unto you, and bring not this 
doctr'mt, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God 
speed. For he that biddeth him God speed, is partaker of his 
evil deeds (h). 

In his third epistle, he expresses the utmost joy over 
Gaius, on account of his steady adherence to the truth; as- 
suring him, that he had no greater joy, than to hear that 
his children continued to walk in the truths of the Gospel. 
He commends his charity toward the people of God, and 
exhorts him to continue a fellow-helper to the truth, by 
affording an hospitable reception to those, who, with a view 
of spreading that truth, were journeying from place to place. 

St. 



(c) John ii. 1,2. (d) iii. 5,23. (e) p. 1,4. (f) v. 13, 
(g) 2 John 7, 9. (h) 10, II. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 255 

St. Jade, in his short epistle, writes thus — Beloved, when 
1 gave all diligence to write unto you of the common salvation, 
it was needful for me to exhort yo\i, that ye should earnestly 
contend for the faith, which iM$ once delivered unto the 
saints. For there are certain men crept in unawares, denying 
the only Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ (i). But ye, 
beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, pray- 
ing in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, look- 
ing for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ, unto eternal life (fc), 

The concluding book of the new Testament abounds 
with striking testimonies to the foregoing truth?, and was 
added tor the consolation of the church in every age. It 
opens with a sublime elogy, pronounced upon that incom- 
prehensible Savior, who is the Alpha and the Omega, the faith- 
ful witness, the first begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the 
lungs of the earth, who hath laved and washed us from our sin-: 
in his own blood, and ha tit made us kings and priests unto God 
and his father, for ever and tva (1). 

The faithful, who groan in secret, to behold their Mas- 
ter rejected by deists and neglected by the greater part of 
christians, attend, with holy transport, to the representati- 
ons hens given by St, John. Here they perceive that con- 
descending Savior, who was dishonored upon earth, ac- 
knowledged and adored by the hosts of Heaven. They 
see the prostrate elders, and behold the innumerable multi- 
tude of the redeemed assembled before the throne. They 
hear that new song of adoration, in which Angels and the 
spirits of just men made perfect unanimously cry out ; 
Worthy is the Lamb, that was slain, to receive power, and 
riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honor, and glory, and 
blessing (m). These are scenes, which the believer 

is assisted to realize, by means of a lively faith ; and in 
which he already bears an humble part, ascribing, with 
his more exalted brethren, blessing and honor and glory 
and power unto lam, that sitteth upon the throne, and unto tke 
Lamb, for ever and ever (n). 

This mysterious book concludes with that short prayer 
of St. John, which shall one day be offered up, wfch the 
energy of the Holy Spirit, by ten thousand times ten thou- 

ye s nd 

(i) Judc 3, 4. (k) 20, 21. (!) Rev. i, 5, A (m) v. 12. (n) v. 13. 



'256 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAUL. 

sand of the faithful — Come, Lord Jesus, fully to accomplish 
thy gracious promises (o). 

If it be here enquired; Do not all ministers maintain 
this scriptural faith? I answer ; It is a rare thing, with the 
generality of ministers, to treat on a point of so vast im- 
portance : and even when they are heard to speak of this 
mighty grace, they representit as something manifestly dif- 
ferent from that living faith, by which we are regenerated. 
If ever thev discourse with their catechumens on this sub* 
ject, they speak as men who attempt to teach, what they 
have yet to learn. They frequently repeat the word faith, 
but are unable to open its spiritual signification. They 
take it for granted, that all their neighbours are possessed 
of this grace, except those who openly reject the word of 
God: and thus they become perfectly satisfied with that 
species of 'faith, against which Su Paul and St. James were 
authorized to denounce the anathemas of the Gospel. On 
this account, one of the last tests a worldly pastor would 
make choice of, is that solemn exhortation of the -Apostle ; 
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith : prove your 
own selves; know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus 
Christ is in you , except ye be reprobates (p)? The faith, with 
which he. contents himself, and which he publishes to 
others, may be equally possessed by. those, who are con- 
formable to this present evil world, and those, who have 
cruc/fi.d {he flesh, with the affectiom and lusts (q). It belongs 
to self-exalting phasisees, who boast of their own righte- 
ousness, as well as to those humble believers, who count 
themselves unworthy of the benefits they have received. 

Further ; so for is the ill-instructed minister from preach- 
ing the true faith, that he is always prepared to plead 
against it. In confirmation of this melancholy truth, take 
the following relation. A believer, whose circumstances 
frequently engaged him in conversation with a worldly 
man of his neighbourhood, once tock occasion to offer him 
such advice as brotherly charity suggested. After the 
customary civilities ; Sir, said he, we have lived as neigh- 
bours long enough to know one another ; and, I premme 
the intimacy of our acquaintance authorizes us to spea-lr 
to each other without a 1 /.}' reserve. It has given me 

real 

(o) veil. 20. (p) 2 Cor, Suti. 5. (q) Gal. v. ?4. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 2^7 

real satisfaction, lo observe your constant attendance at 
our church, and your strict attention to her most solemn 
services. Nevertheless, permit me to express my fears, 
that you are not yet seeking the Kingdom of God, wkk 
that earnestness and solicitude, without which it can never 
be obtained. Though you are constant at church, yet 
you are as constant at tables of festivity ; and an approach- 
ing entertainment appears to afford you greater pleasure, 
than an approaching sacrament. I regularly observe the 
gazette upon your table, with a variety of new and ingeni- 
ous publications: but 1 have never found you perusing the 
sacred pages of a more important volume. 1 have heard 
you speak, in an agreeable manner, upon twenty different 
things; but cannot recollect that your con versation ever 
turned upon what our Lord has described, as the one iliim? 
needful (r). In short, Sir, I apprelrend, from your conduct, 
that you are altogether unacquainted with evangelical faith \; 
and if so, your hope is fallacious, as your devotion is phari- 
saical. Neigiibour. I am obliged, Sir, by the interest you 
appear to take in my salvation ; but allow me to say, with 
Solomon, there i-s a time for all things. Believer, Ye>, Sir ; 
for all that is good. But, if you really believe there is a 
lime for all things ; is it not amazing, that, after you have 
found four seasons in every day convenient for eating and 
drinking in your family, you should find no proper oppor- 
tunity, through the whole course of a week, to pour out 
your prayers with that fttmily before Goof Neighbour. 
It is true, I do not pitfjue myself upon my piety j and 
I will confess to you, that I frequent the chinch and the 
holy communion, rather out of decency than choice. Bui, 
notwithstanding this, my faith is as orthodox as that of my 
neighbours, We all believe in Goo, as our Creator ; and 
in Christ, as our Redeemer ; except some few person*, 
who glory in trampli-ng all revelation under foot. For 'mv 
own part, I hav*e never erred from the fai*k, since I first 
became acquainted with tfoe Apostles' creed ; and that was 
so early in life, that I cannot now recollect who first instruct- 
drfte m k. Believer, it seems then, neighbour, that \ou 
tebibed your faith, as you drew in your nurse's milk : and 
you have learned *o beMeve in Christ, rather than Mahomet, 
because vou happened to be taught the frencfc, rattier than 

Y 9 the 

(r) Luke x, 42. 



,£5S TiJ£ PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

the turkish language. Neighbour, That may be. However, 
if I had beers a Mahometan, I trust, I might also have been 
an honest man. / give to every one his due. This is the 
grand principle upon which 1 have always acted ; and, 
irom this, I leave every rational man to form a judgment of 
my faith. Believer. Ah ! Sir, if such are the principles, by 
which your conduct is regulated, then make a -full surrender 
of your heart to God, and consecrate to his service those 
powers of body and soul, which you have received from his 
bounty, and to which he has so just a title. But, alas! 
without piety, your strict justice is like the fidelity of a 
subject, who fulfils his engagements with a few particular 
persons, while he withholds the homage due to .his rightful 
sovereign. If such a subject can be termed faithful, then 
may you, wi.h propriety, be accounted just ; while you 
offer not to God that tribute of love, gratitude, adoration, 
and obedience, which is vour reasonable service. You 
made a. confession but now, that you piqued not yourself 
upon your piety : it would not have astonished me more, 
lad you said, that you piqued not yourself upon paying your 
debts, and acting with common honesty in the world. Alas, 
Sir, your boasted principles do but confirm the fears, to 
which your conduct had given rise. I entreat you, in the 
most solemn manner, <c examine yourself, whether you be 
in the faith." Neighbour. What do you call faith? 
Believer. The scriptures teach us, that we must believe 
with the heart, and that faith is the substance of things 
hoped for, and the evidence of things not seen (s). He, there- 
fore, who truly believes in the Father, the Son, and the 
Holy Ghost, carries within him a lively demonstration of 
the Almighty's presence, which penetrates him with senti- 
ments of fear, respect, and love, for a Being so powerful, 
just, and good : he posseses an internal evidence of the af- 
fection of that Redeemer, upon whom alone he grounds his 
hope of salvation, saluting him, with Nathaniel, as the Son 
of God, the King of Israel (t) : and he discovers in his own 
heart the most indisputable testimonies of the sanctifying 
and consoling operations of the Holy Spirit. Now, from 
this three-fold demonstration, he is enabled to say, with 
suitable sentiments of gratitude and devotion ; Behold what 
jnanncr of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that ive should 

be 
(s)Hcb. xi. 1. (t) John i. 49. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 259 

died the sons of God (u) : lie hath made us accepted in the 
Beloved, in xvhom we have redemption through his blood, the 
forgiveness of sms (vv) : and the Spirit itself beareth witness 
with our spirit that we are the children of God (x) Tell 

me, ther, since you boast of having received the christian 
faith, have you ever experienced those salutary effects of 
faith, which I have bow described r Neighbour. If that 
demonstration, and that lively representation of which yon 
speak, are essential to christian faith, I must doui'c-ss, that, 
to such a faith, I am a perfect stranger. But the writ- 
ings of St. Paul, whose' definition oi'faith )Ou"have 
jttst cited, are generally looked upon as remarkably 
dark and mysterious : 1 wish you had rather quoted St, 
John. Believer. I doubt, Sir, whether you will gain any 
thing by such an appeal. IV however believeth that Jesus 
is the Christ, saith St. John, is born of God. This is the vie- 
tory that cvercomeih the world, even our faith. Who is he 
that overco77ieth the world, but he that eelieveth, that 
Jesus is the Son of God iy) ? You perceive, Sir, that, accord* 
ing to this Apostle, faith is a principle of grace and power, 
sufficiently forcible and victorious to regenerate and make 
us partakers of the divine nature, enabling us to triumph 
equally over the most seducing, as well as the most afflict- 
ing, occurrences in the world. Have you obtained, or 
have you even sought the faith, of which such excellent 
things are spoken ? Neighbour. You embarras me. I 
never heard the least intimation of such a faith in this coun- 
try. Believer. Indeed, Sir, you are in an error; since 
this very faith is plainly set forth in the x villi chapter ot 
the Helvetic Confession. " The christian faith [say the 
*' pious ministers who composed that work] is not a mere 
" human opinion or persuasion, but a state o\'fidl assurance : 
u it not only gives a constant and clear assent to, but also 
u comprehends and embraces the truths of God, as pre- 
" posed to us in the Apostles' creed. The soul, by this 
" act, unites itself to God, as to its only, e:ernal, and 
■* sovereign good ; and to Jesus Christ, as the centre of all 
" the promises." Have you, then, this divine persuasion, 
ih\s full assurance of the truths of our holy religion ? And 
have you experienced this act, by which the >oul is united 
to God, through Christ, as to its sovereign good ? Neigh- 
bour 

(u) Uuhn iii, 1. (w) Eph. i. 6, 7. (x) Rom. viii, 16. 

(y) 1 John v, 1—5. 



260 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

boar. I have,, undoubtedly, a persuasion, that the word of 
God is true. But how may I absolutely determine, whe- 
ther or no I am a possessor of the faith, of which you 
speak? Believer. If \ou are possessed of faith, you hare 
some experimental knowledge of those happy effects of that 
grace, which are thus enumerated in the same confession. 
" True faith restores peace to the conscience. It procures 
" a free access to God, enabling us both to approach him 
" with confidence, and to obtain from him the things, of 
€t which we stand in need. It retains us in the path of 
" obedience, enduing us with power to fulfil our several 
" duties, both to God and to our neighbour. It maintains 
" our patience in adversity, and disposes us, at all times, 
*? to a sincere confession of our confidence. To sum up 
u all in a single word/ it produces every good work/' 
" Let it be observed [says the same confession] that we do 
M not here speak of a pretended faith, which is in vain, 
u ineffectual, ami dead ; but of a living, effectual, and vivi* 
# * ft/ing faith. This is a doctrine, which St. James cannot 
f% be understood to combat, seeing he speaks of a vain and 
" presumptuous confidence, of which some were known 
rr to boast, while they had not Christ living in them, by 
** means of faith £ y Neighbour. " ^Christ living in them, 
** b$ weans of faith f I pray, Sir, what is to be understood 
by this expression? I do not comprehend the thing. 
But, if I recollect, I shall have an opportunity, in a few 
hours, of mentioning the matter to our pastor, whom I 
expect here this evening to make up a party at cards* 

The true believer, after thanking his worldly neighbour 
f{jr the patience, with which he had fastened to his conver- 
sation, took his leave, and withdrew; apprehending every 
evil Consequence from the decision of a pastor, who was 
known to indulge a taste for play and vain amusement. 
His fears were too well founded. The minister, true to his 
engagement, arrived at the appointed hour, and tire gen- 
tleman thus eagerly addressed him : I have been receiving 
some singular advice from a person of a very unaccountable 
turn, who appears to agree either with the mystics or the 
pietists. He spoke much of faith; asserting, that ail true 
christians are really regenerate, and that they htive < Christ 
Hiving in them, by faith. What think you, Sir, of such asser- 
tions as these? I will tell you freely, replied the minister, 
that these abstruse points of doctrine are among those pro- 
found 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 264 

found mysteries, which neither you nor I are appointed to 
fathom. Il is usual with enthusiasts to speak in this man- 
ner; but such mystic jargon is now out of season. There 
have been ages, in which divines were accustomed to spe- 
culate concerning this faith, and publicly to insist upon it in 
their sermons. But, in an age like this, enlightened by 
sound philosophy and learned discoveries, we no longer 
admit what we cannot comprehend. I advise you, as a 
friend, to leave these idle subtilties close shut up in the 
unintelligible volumes of our ancient theologists. The 
only material thing i*, to conduct ourselves as honest men. 
if we receive revelation in a general sense, a:id have good 
works to produce, there can be no doubt but our faith is 
of the proper kind, and highly acceptable before God. 
To this short discourse, the card table succeeded, which 
served to strengthen the bands of intimacy between the 
careless clergyman and his deluded neighbour: so perfectly 
alike were their faith and their manners. 

The circumstances alluded to in the above relation, are 
not imaginary ; and there is every reason to fear, that cir- 
cumstances of the same nature are no less common in other 
christian countries, than in that, which gave birth to the 
writer of these pages. 

Thus the worldly minister, instead of preaching this im- 
portant doctrine in its purilv, seeks to destroy even the 
curiosity, which would engage an irreligious man to en- 
quire into the necessity, the nature, the origin and the 
effects, of evangelical faith. And while the generality of 
thobe, who are required to publish this victorious grace,, 
are seen to reject it with contempt; no wonder that the 
true minister esteems himself obliged to contend for it, with 
cncreasing earnestness, both in public and in private (z). 

To close this section. When the christian minister pro. 
claims salvation hy faith, he adheres not only to the holy 
scriptures, but also to those public confessions of faith, 
which are in common use among the churches of Christ. 
" We believe," say the churches of France, "that every 
( thing necessary to our salvation, was revealed and offered 
r lo us in Christ, who is made unto us wisdom, righteous* 
r< ••>-, sand if cation, and redemption." Art. xiii. " We 

'* believe 
(z) Jude 3, * 



202 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

'* believe that we are made partakers of righteousness, 
" by faith alone ; since it is said, that he [Christ] suffered 
" in order to procure salvation for us, and that whosoever 
" bclieveth in him shall not perish." Art. xx. " We be- 
" lieve, that we are illuminated hy faith, through the se- 
" cret grace of the Holy Spirit/' Art. xxi. " We be- 
t% lieve thai, by thk faith, we are regenerated to newness 
c * of life, being by nature in bondage to sin. So that 
fi faith, instead of cooling in us the desire of living righte- 
*' ously and godly, naturally tends to excite such desire, 
" and necessarily produces every good work." Art. x>;ii. 

Such also is the doctrine of the Helvetic Confession. 
* l We believe, with St. Paul, that sinful man is justified by 
" jaith alone in Jesus Christ, and not by the law. Fciitk 
fi receives Jesus, who is our righteousness; and on this 
" account justification is attributed to faith. Thai by 
" means of faith we receive Jesus Christ, he himself has 
'* taught us in the Gospel, where he significantly uses the 
'* terms applied locating for believing: for as, by eating, 
" we receive bodily nourishment; so, by believing, we 
'* are made partakers of Christ" Chap. xv. " Man is 
n not regenerated by faith, that he should continue in a 
" state of indolence ; but rather that he should apply him- 
** self, without ceasing, to the performance of those things, 
ft which are useful, and good : since the Lord hath said, 
"' Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit (a) ; he that abid- 
'* eth in me, and 1 in him, the §a?ne bri?igeth forth much 
« fruit (b)." 

The church of England expresses herself in the follow- 
ing terms upon salvation by faith, and the good works 
which it is calculated to produce. " W T e are accounted 
righteous before God, only for the merit of our Lord 
and Savior Jesus Christ, by faith, and not for our own 
works and deserving?. Wherefore that we are justified 
by faith only, is a most wholesome doctrine, and very 
full of comfort." Art. xi. " Good works do spring out 
necessarily of a true and lively faith, insomuch that by 
" them a lively faith may be as evidently known,,, as a tree 
u discerned by the fruit." Art, xii. 

The 

(a) Matt. vii. 19. (b) John x v. 6, 



, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 2G3 

The true Minister goes on to announce a Lively Hope. 

S2LODLINESS, with contentment, is great gain (a) : and the 
^^ Pastor, who is possessed of so invaluable a blessing, 
cannot be backward in soliciting all, within the circle of 
his acquaintance, to share it with him. Happy in the en- 
joyment of that precious secret, which enables him to re- 
joice without ceasing, he readily communicates it to the 
afflicted, by leading them to that lively hope, which consoles 
and sustains the heart of every believer. 

In a world, where the bitterness of evil is continually 
increasing ; where we discover the scourges of a God, 
who will not fail to chastize his rebellious creatures ; where 
disappointment and death successively deprive us of our 
dearest comforts ; and where the forerun ners of death are 
continually weakening all our imperfect enjoyments: in 
such a world, it is evident, thai the most exalted pleasure 
we are capable of, must spring from a well-grounded hope 
of those immortal joys, which are reserved for the righteous. 
The language of mortality is too feeble to describe either 
the power, or the sweetness of such an hope. Here we 
can only cry out with the Psalmist, O taste, and see how 
gracious the Lord is (b), in providing so potent a cordial 
for those, who are travelling through a vale of tears. 

The lively hope, which gives birth to a believer's felicity, 
is one of the most exhilerating fruits of his faith, and is inse- 
parably connected with it, since true faith is the substance of 
things hoped for. In proportion as the truths and pro- 
mises, upon which faith is founded, are evidenced and 
apprehended, such will be the hope with which that faith 
is accompanied. If Moses, then, by the faith which Jhe 
professed, was enabled to renounce the prospect of an 
earthly crown, with the hope of obtaining a more glorious 
inheritance ; if he esteemed the reproach of Christ greater 
riches than the treasures of Egypt, having inspect unto the re- 
compence of reward (c) ; what may not be expected from 
an hope founded upon those precious promises, which have 
been sealed with the blood of that condescending Savior, 

who 
(a) 1 Tim. vi. 6. (b) Psalin xxxiv. 8. (c) Heb. xi. 26. 



264* THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

w ho brought life and immortality to light through the Gospel (a)? 
7 he law, saith the Apostle, made nothing perfect; bat the 
bringing in of a be tier hope did ; by the which we draw nigh 
unto God (e). Seeing then, that we have such rope, conti- 
nues the same Apostle, we a!!, with open face beholding, as 
in a glass, the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same 
image, from glory to glory (f). 

We every day observe the, men of the world exulting 
in the hope of some temporal advantage. The prospect of 
an honorable title, an augmentation of fortune, an advan- 
tageous marriage, or even a poor party of pleasure, is suf- 
ficient to allure, to animate, to enrapture them. They will 
even acknowledge, that the flattering hope of future plea- 
sure is sweeter than enjoyment itself. Who then shall at- 
tempt to declare those transports, which flow from the 
lively hope of a triumphing christian ? A hope, which is 
founded upon the Bock of ages, and which has for its ob- 
ject, riches, honors and pleasures, as much superior to those 
of worldly men, as the soul is superior to the body, heaven 
to earth, and eternity to the present fleeting -moment. 

Tire true minister publicly announces this hope to the 
world, persuaded that, if mankind were once happy enough 
to possess it, they would exchange a load of misery for a 
prospect of blessedness. But since he knows, that ibis 
hope can never be admitted into hearis. replete with sin, 
his first concern is to overthrow the vain confidence of tiie 
impenitent, to undermine the presumption of the phari- 
saicai, and to point out the true distinction between a sin- 
ner's groundless expectation^ and the well founded hope of a 
believer in Christ. 

In every place, there are many to be found, who witlj T 
out evangelical faith 01 hope, are filled with a presumption 
as blind as that of the Pharisees, and as fatal as that of 
Heathens hardened in their sin. To every such person the 
true minister uniformly declares, that he is without Christ, 
without hope, and ivithout God in the world (g.) These very 
men, it is probable, may offer to the Deity a formal wor- 
ship, and indulge high expectations from the mercy of a 
divine Tvlediator, though they are totally destitute of an 

unfeigned 

fd) 2 Tim. i. 10. fe) Hob. vii. 19. (f) '2 Cor. 1'i. \% 18. 

(g) Eph. ii. 12. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 265 

unfeigned repentance toward God, and a true faith toivard 
our Lord Jesus Christ (h). Thus far the unconverted may 
proceed in a seemingly religious course. But the regene- 
rate alone can truly say, The grace of God, that bringeth. 
salvation, hath appeared unto all men, teaching us that, denying 
ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righte- 
ously and godly in this present world : looking for that blessed 
hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God, and otcr 
Savior Jesus Christ (i). 

The hope, of unrighteous men is founded upon pride, 
false notions of the deity, ignorance of his law, and those 
prejudices, which the irreligious communicate one to ano- 
ther. On the contrary, the hope of believers has for its 
basis, the word of him who cannot lie (k.) Whatsoever things 
xeere veritten aforetime, saith the Apostle, were written for our 
learning, that we [the children of God] through patience and 
comfort of the scriptures might liave ho? z [\). It is founded 
not only upon the word, but equally upon the oath, of God. 
Men verily swear by the greater ; and an oath, for confirmation, 
is to them an end of all strife. Wherein God, willing more 
abundantly to shew unto the heirs of the promise the immut- 
ability of his coitn-sel, confirmed it by an oath : that by two 
immutable things, in which it Was impossible for God to lis, 
[namely his word and his oath] ne might have strong consola* 
tion, x&lio have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hove set 
before us, which hope we have as art anchor of the soul, both 
sure arid stedfast (m). 

When the faithful -minister has rooted up every false 
lope; he then announces Jesus Christ, who hath brought m 
a better hope, than that of Heathens or Jews. Observe 
heFethe reason, why those pastors, who preach not Christ, 
are incapable of doing* any thing toward the furtherance of 
that living faith, ot which Christ is the grand object, aid 
that lively hope, of which he is the inexhaustible source. 
Jesus Chrht, saith St. Paul, is om* hope (n) : and we declare 
unto you, the mysteiy which hath been hid from ages, and is 
still hidden from worldly men, which is Christ in you, the 
hoPb of glory. Thus the everlasting Son of the Father is 
made- to his true followers the beginning, and the con- 

Z summation 

Actsxx. 21. (i) Tit. ii. I l, 13. (k) Tit. i. 2. (1) Rom. xv. 4. 
(m) Heb. \\. 16, 19. («) l Tim, i. 1. 



266 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

summation of hope, as well as the author and finisher of 
faith (o). 

By the mercy of God, and through the redemption that 
is in Jesus Christ, the be iever has already received the 
promise of a free pardon for past offences ; otherwise he 
deserves not to be termed a believer: at least, he is desti- 
tute of evangelical faith. But when he sincerely receives 
the glad tidings of redeeming grace, he then receives Jesus 
Christ, in whom all the. promises are yea and amen (p): and 
he would conduct himself in a manner, contrary to that, 
which both reason and scripture prescribe, if he should re- 
fuse to rejoice in God his Savior. By such a mode of 
acting, he would prove his want of gratitude for that, which 
Christ hath already done ; and of hope for that, which he 
hath promised still to perform. But when he gives himself 
up to a joy, as reasonable as it- is refreshing, he then an- 
swers the gracicus designs of his benevolent Lord. Con- 
tinually taken up with more satisfactory enjoyments, he 
despises the seducing pleasures of sim He carries in his 
own bosom a source of celestial pleasure, while the man 
of the world disquiets his heart in the vain pursuit of earthly 
joys. The difference between the enjoyments of these 
two characters is as great, as betwixt the rational pleasure 
of those, who gather their wheat into the barn, and the 
puerile lairth of children, who are busied in collecting the 
scattered straws and thorns; the former are securing an 
inestimable treasure, while the latter have nothing more in 
View, than to dance round a short-lived blaze, the truest 
emblem of a sinner's satisfaction. 

In the Holy Scriptures, very excellent things are spok- 
en of the hope which produces this sacred joy. 1. It is 
a divine hope, since it has for its object the enjoyment of 
God, and because it draws supplies of strength from that 
Holy Spirit, which discovers to believers the greatness and 
stability of gospel promises. Thus, St. Paul teacheth us, 
that the Father of glory giveih us the Spirit of wisdom and 
revelation, enlightening the eyes of our understanding, that we 
may know, what is the hope of our calling, and what tlte 
riches ef the glory of his inheritance among the saints (q). 

2. It gives honor to the faithfulness and power of God. 

Abraham, 

| (o) Heb. xii. 2. (fO 2 Cor. i, 20. (q) Eph. i. 17, 18. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. -67 

Abraham, sailli St. Paal, against all human probability, be- 
lieving in hope, staggered not at the promise ; but was strong 
in faith giving glory to God : being fully persuaded, that v:hat 
he had promised, he was able also to performer). There- 

fore, being justified, like Abraham, by faith, we rejoice, con- 
tinues the Apostle, with a confidence like his, in hope of 
the glory of God. And this hope nviketh not ashamed {s). 
How Unlike the fallacious hope of worldly men, who are 
frequently pat to shame by their blasted expectations ! 

3. This horn is said to fill us with a holy joy. Blessed 
be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, saith St. 
Peter, who hath begotten its agdhi unto a lively hope, by the 
resurrectioi of Jesus Christ from the dead. Wherein ye great iu 
rejoice (t). And on this account it was, that the Apostle 
Paul prayed, with so much ardor, for an increase of hope 
among believers — Now the God of hope fU you with all joy 
and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through 
the power of the Holy Ghost (u). 

4* It actually saves us, as St. Paul himself declares in 
the following words : / reckon, that the sufferings of the pre* 
sent time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which 
shall be revealed in us* And, supported by this sweet per- 
suasion, we wait for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our 
body. For, in this respect, we are saved by hope (w). 

5. It is equally sweet and solid ; since it rests upon the 
right, which the children of God may claim to the inherit- 
ance of their heavenly Father ; a sacred right, which is 
confirmed to them with the utmost solemnity in the new 
Testament. Now every man, who receives, with since- 
rity, the Lord of life and glory, receives witli him a title 
to everlasting possessions, and ranks, from that moment, 
among the. sons of God (x). So that to such the following, 
passages may, with propriety, be applied—//- hath made 
us accepted in the beloved — In whom ye also trusted, after that 
ye heard the word of truth, the, gospel of your salvation: in 
whom also, after that ye believed, ye were sealed with thac 
Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, 
until the redemption of the purchased possession (yj. 

Z 2 6 . It 

(r) Rom. iv. 13, 21. (s) Rom. v. 1, 5. (t) 1 Pet. i. 3, 6. 

(a) Rom. xv. 13. (w) Rom. vi'ii. 13. L 2i. (x)Johni. 1&. 

(v) Eph. i. 6, 12, 14. 



i68 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

6. It purifies us. Novj are we, saith St. John, the sons 
of God, and it doih not yet appear, what we shall be : but lye 
know that when he shall appear, we shall be like him ; for we 
shall see him as he is. And every man, that hath this h ope 
in him, purifJeth himself, even as he is pure. Whosoever is 
horn of God, or regenerated by a true faith and a lively 
hope, doth not commit sin ; for his seed remaineth in hwi : 
and he cannot sin, because he is born of God (z). The truth 
of this assertion is clear to the eye of reason. We fall into 
sin, because we suffer ourselves to be seduced by .the allure- 
ments of some transitory good, which presents itself either 
to our senses or imagination. But when we are once per- 
suaded, that infinite enjoyments await us, we can then look 
with contempt upon those deceitful appearances : and after 
our hearts are animated with a confident hope of possessing 
those invisible realities, the charm of sin is broken, in 
such a state, we break through temptations with as much 
resolution, as a prince, who is going to take possession of a 
kingdom, renounces the little amusements, that occupied 
his thoughts before they were engrossed by a concern of 
so vast importance. Who is he that overcometh the world, 
except the man who believes with that faith, which affords 
him a lively representation of things hoped for ? Compare 
I John v. 5. with Heb. xi. 1. 

7. This lively hope produces chanty in the soul. We 
give than fa to God, saith the Apostle, praying always for you r 
since we heard of the lave, which ye have to all the saints ; for 
the hope, iihich is laid up for you in heaven, ithereofye heard 
befwe in the word of the truth of the Gospel (a). Nay, of so 
prevailing an influence is this solid hope ? that the Apostle 
intimates, in the same chapter, thai believers shall be pre- 
sented before God, holy and unbiameable^ provided theyW 
not unseed away from the hope of the Gotpel (b). For, con- 
tinues he, we are made partakers <f Christ, ?f W'e hold the 
beginning of oar confidence stedfast unto the end (c). And we 
desire, that every one of you do shtvj the same diligence to the 
full assurance (f hope- unto the end: that ye be rati slothful, 
but followers if them, who through faith and patience inherit 
the promises (d). 

8. This 
(z) 1 John iii. 2, 3, 9. (a) Coloss. i. .3 — 5. (b) v. 22, 93. 

(c) ud). in, u. (d) iM). vi, u,ja. 



THE FORTRA^T OF ST. PAUL. 269 

£. This hope is full of consolation. Wfc, &ito remain, 
&ith the Aposile, sfaz// be caught up to meet the Lord in the 
air: and so shall ive ever be with the Lord. Wlierefcye com* 
fori one another with these ivords (e). Koiv our Lord Jesus 
Christ himself, and God even our Father, ivhich hath loved 
(**, and hath given us everlasting consolation and good hope 
through grace, cojnfori your hearts (f)j When we observe 
among us some, who are disquieted and east down, 
who want courage to support affliction without impati- 
ence, and to fill up their duties * ilh cheerfulness ; we 
then behold persons who never enjoyed, or who have 
unhappily lost the lively hope of true christians. If all mi- 
nisters of the Gospel had experienced the sweetness and 
power of this hope, with what pleasure would they pub- 
lish it to the afflicted ..! And with what perseverance would 
they join to their discourses the most ardent prayers, that 
all their hearers might come to the enjoyment of so inva-- 
luable a blessing ! 

When the true minister leads his flock to this lively and 
joyful hope, he treads in the footsteps of his divine Master, 
Christ, it is true, began his ministry by preaching repent- 
ance (£). But in the very next chapter we find him plac- 
ing before the believer's eve, beatitudes and promises of 
the most consolatory nature (h). And in a variety of 
passages, he exhorts his followers to the exercise of a joyful 
liope in the severest trials, making that an indispensible 
duty, which is indeed a glorious privilege. Fear not them, 
saith he, which are not able to kill the soul — The very hairs 
of your head are all numbered — Whosoever shall confess me 
before men, him will I confess also before my Father, ivhich is 
in heaven (i). Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's 
good pleasure to give you the Kingdom (k). / give unto < 
my sheep eternal life, and they shall never perish, neither shall 
any pluck them out of my handQ). 

He appears anxious, that his people should be partakers 
of \m peace, h\<joy, and his hope, till they come to the pos- 
session of consummate blessedness. These things have I 
spoken, saith he, that in me ye might have peace. In the 

Z 3 xvorld 

» 1 Thess. v. IT, 18. (f) 2 Thess. ii. 16, 17. (g) Matt. iv. IT. 
;h) v. 1. &c. (i> -Matt, x. 28, 32. (V) UikexiL 31, 

(1) John x, 27, 2S. 



2T0 THE PORTRAIT OP .ST, TAUL. 

ivorldye sliall have tributai l ion : but be of good cheer; I have 
overcome the world (m). Let r*ot your 'heart be troubled. I 
go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place 
for you, I xvill come again, and receive you unto myself; that 
where I am, there ye may be also(n). Ye now have sorrow: 
Mat I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and 
your joy no ?mnfaketh from you (o). He exhorts them con* 
tinually to expect his return (p) ; and even condescends to 
mention the very term? in which he will, at that time, 
falute every waiting believer. 

The prayers of Christ, as well as his exhortations and 
promises; tend to produce and support the most exalted hope 
m the souls or' believers. He has graciously interceded for 
them ; he still continues to make intercession, and his 
prayer is always prevalent. Mark a few sentences of that 
memorable prayer, which he once offered up for all his 
followers, and which forms the xviith chapter of St. John's 
Gospel. O Father! I pray not for the world, but for them, 
ivhich thou hast given nw. 'Holy Father / keep, through thine 
oiunname, those whom thou hast given me; and sqwtify than 
through thy truth. Neither pray I for these alone, but for 
them also, which shall believe on tne through their word ; that 
they may all be one, even as we are one. Father 1 J will, that 
they ivhom. thou hast given me, be with me where I am, that 
they may bthold my glory. 

A lively hope, founded upon these prayers and declara- 
tions of the blessed Jesus, enabled the primitive christians 
to triumph over every affliction.. In the midst of the most 
terrible persecutions, they could congratulate one another 
on their common blessedness, and say ; Our life is hid with 
Christ in God: and when Christ, who is our life, shall appear ; 
then shall we also appear with him in glory (q). For lie shall 
yet come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all 
them that believe (r). 

The Apostles* agreeably to the example of their Master, 
were unanimous in publishing this glorious hope:, and SL 
Paul vesy frequently insists upon it, as a most important 
dutv. Let us, saith he, ivho are of the day, be sober, putting 
on the breast-plate of faith and love, and for an helmet the 

HOPE 

(in) John xvi, 33. (n) xrv. I, 3. (o) xvi. 22. (p) Luke xi;. 40„ 
(q) Coloss. iii. 4. (r) 2 Thess. i. 10. 



THE PORT-RAIT OF ST. PAUL. 271 

hope of salvation (s), 1 beseech you, brethren, present your 
bodies a living sacrifice unto God — rejoicing in hope (ij. 
Rejoice in the Lord alivay : and againl say, Rejoice (u). This 
evangelical Iwpe will ever fee eKperienceil, as a never-tailing 
source of consolation and thankfulness 4 and hence, where- 
ever the hope of the Gospel is preached, there believers 
continue to bejlled ivitb unspeakable joy (\v). How truly 
happy would christians be, were such an hope to flourish 
among them ! Far from disputing any longer for the trifles 
of time and sense, they would joyfully renounce them all, 
in expectation of an eternal inheritance : and instead of 
running to the frivolous amusements of the world for a mo- 
mentary recreation, every passing day would appear too 
short for the exhilarating duties of praise and thanksgiving. 

It is asserted by many, that this divine hope is usually 
preached by every minister. That preachers in general, 
are accustomed to exhort their hearers, in a cold and lan- 
guid manner, to hope in the divine mercy, will readily be 
granted : but that such do not publish the reed, evangelical 
hope of christians, may be easily proved heyond the possi- 
bility of a doubt. We have seen, in the preceding secti- 
ons, that the, minister of the present day is unacquainted 
with this hope: that he is even without any just ideas of 
that true repentiwee, and that living faith, from which alone 
this hope can flow : and hence, it is impossible for him, in 
the nature of things to publish it in the church of God. In 
vain has Christ himself declared, that the broad way will 
conduct multitudes to destruction ; and that except a ?nan be 
horn again, he cannot enter into the Kingdom of God (x) : in 
spite of these solemn declarations, the worldly pastor still 
imagines, that this very way will conduct him to life, and 
that he shall be counted among the inhabitants of that 
Kingdom, without scriptural regeneration. He supposes, 
at least, that he is sufficiently sanctified, though his righte- 
ousness exceeds not that of the pharisees, nor his devo- 
tion that of the Laodicean church. Thus, entertaining a 
vain hope in his own heart, and indulging a confidence 
which is repugnant to the concurrent testimonies of every 
sacred writer, he necessarily leads his hearers into the 
same dangerous delusions. 

As 

(s) 1 Thess. v. 8. (t) Rom. xii. 1, 12. (11) Phil. iv. 4. 

(w) Acts xiii. 52. (x) John iii. 5. 



272 THE- PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

As m order solidly to found our hopes upon a benefactor* 
or a surety, it is necessary to have an acquaintance with 
the person, who presents himself in either of these charac- 
ters ; so the I'vely hope, of which we speak, must flow from 
an experimental knowledge of God, by Jesus Christ : 7 his 
is eternal life, that they may know Thee the only true God, a?ul 
Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent(y). But the children of 
this world, whether they be laymen or ecclesiastics, are 
without this knowledge. They know neither the Father, 
nor the Son ; and were it otherwise, the love of the world 
would not have dominion over them. 

This lively hope can never dwell in an unregenerate 
heart. The child, that is not born, cannot possibly rejoice 
m hope of possessing the heritage of his father ; since he is 
equally unacquainted with his parent, and the patrimony, 
that is likely to be reserved for him. It is, therefore, ab- 
solutely necessary to be boin of God, befoie we can ex- 
ercise" this exhilarating hope. Now a man is thus born, 
when he is regenerated by that spirit of adoption, which 
God hath promised to those who sincerely believe in 
Testis Christ. But they, who are conformable to the 
maxims of the world, are not able to receive this vivi- 
fying spirit. / will pray the Father, said Christ to his disci- 
ples, and he shall give you another comforter, that he may ahidt* 
with you for rver, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world 
cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him ;. 
hut, being already regenerate in part, ye know him ; for he 
dweileth with you, and shall he in you, when you are fully 
born of the Spirit (z). It is not till after the accomplish- 

ment of this promise lias been experienced, that the follow, 
ino- expressions can be perfectly understood — Know ye not, 
that your body is- the temple of tlie Holy Ghost (a) f Nova the 
God of hove fl I you with all joy and peace in believing, that 
ye may abound in hof.e, through tlie power of the Holy 
Ghost (b). 

Far from preaching this primitive hope, the worldly 
minister is alarmed at the bare mention of it. Let it here 
be observed again, that this celestial p'ant can flourish only 

in 

(y) John xvii. 3. (z) Johnxiv. 16, 17. (a) 1 Cor. yi. 19, 
(b) Rom. xv* 13. 



TriE portrait or ST. PAUL. 273 

in ifeose hearts, where the word of God, sharper than any 
tvvoredged sword, has cut down every unfruitful appearance 
of phawuicul hope. Now when a true minister is engaged 
in performing this painful operation, cutting away the mor- 
tified members of the old. man, and plucking from pride its 
unprofitable supports ; the inexperienced minister prepos- 
terously takes offence at his holy zeal, and censures this ne- 
cessary seventy, as leading souls into the horrors ojf de- 
spair. Slow of understanding in spiritual concerns, he 
comprehends not, that they who recline themselves upon 
a broken reed, must give up all the confidence they fool- 
ishly place in so slender a prop, before they can effectually 
choose the Rock of ages for their support. 

The true character of these false Apostles is not gene- 
rally known. Covering their impiety with the cloak of 
religion, they are supposed by many to act on tht* part of 
Christ, and are frequently esteemed as piljars in the church. 
Bui there are occasions, on which they unwittingly throw 
off -the mask, and make an open discovery of their secret 
thoughts, Some few persons are found in the world, .who, 
refusing to attend card assemblies, rejoice to be present in 
those less polite assemblies, which are formed for tlie pur- 
pose of prayer. Here it is usual for consenting neighbours 
to take sweet counsel together, and wrestje with ardor for 
the ho}K of the Gospel, in words like these : — " Gracious 
ic Father ! forgive the sins of thy returning children, and 
" grant us an increase of spirituaj strength. Sensible of 
" our own uiworthiness, assist us to place all our confl- 
i( dence in thine unbounded mercy, manifested through 
(i Jesus Christ. Increase our faille in the Son of thy love, 
" and confirm our hope in thine unchangeable promises. 
V O thou diving Savior! descend this day into our hearts, 
" as thou didst once descend upon thy first disciples. 
i: Consecrate jus thy living jte*n pies, fill us" with thy graces, 
" and, during the time of our earthly pilgrimage, vouchsafe 
fi - to lead us with the right hand of thy power. Let not 
i: thy spirit of illumination and holiness," thy spirit ofconso- 
i( lalion and joy, abandon us for a moment, as we pass 
" through this valley of tears. May its potent operations 
' subdue in lis the power of sin, and produce in our out- 
" ward conversation the happy fruits of righteousness 

" peace, 



274< THF, PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

{< peace, and joy. Permit us, at this time, to return to our 
" houses, with a consciousness of thy love, and an assur- 
" ance of thy favor: and grant, that, after having been 
<c the temples of thy Spirit upon earth, we may one day 
" be received into the temple of thine eternal glory in the 
" Heaveir." 

A worldly minister, on a certain time, entering into an 
assembly of this kind, heard the prayer of these humble be- 
lievers; and as much surprized to see the ardor with which 
they offered their petitions, as to observe the time and place 
in which thev were presented, withdrew from their society, 
with as much indignation, as a good pastor would retire 
from a company of jugglers. But having understood that 
one of his own parishioners was of the religious party, he 
took the earliest opportunity of testifying the utmost disap- 
probation of his conduct. * What was it/ said he, * that 

* you was doing with those people the other day, in such a 
' place? Conventicles of that kind are contrary to order, 

* and unworthy of toleration. The church is the only pro- 

* per place for the performance of divine worship : more- 
' over, I heard you foolishly praying for, I know not what 
1 consolation, light and power, of the Holy Spirit. Ke- 
' ceive in good part the advice I offer you*' — Look upon 

* inspirations and illuminations of this sort, as no other than 
the idle fancies of visionaries and enthusiasts : renounce 
€ the imaginary assurance, with which you do but deceive 

* yourself and repose upon the hope which 1 have con- 
' stantly preached to you ; a hope, with which you and your 

* neighbours may rest very well contented/ Confound- 
ed with a discourse of this kind, a weak and inexperienced 
christian might have been drawn aside from the narrow 
path of truth. But the person here alluded to, by citing 
Eph. i. 17, 18, was enabled to prove, that the very same 
illumination and power, which were treated so contempltw 
ously by his opponent, were nevertheless absolutely neces- 
sary, as the ground work of a solid hope. Nay, he pushed 
the matter still further ; and asserted, that the prayer against 
which the zealous pastor had so angrily exclaimed, was 
used in exact conformity to those very petitions, which he 
himself was inconsistently heard to offer, at the feast of 
Pentecost, and at other solemn seasons. 

If 



THE POETRAiT OF ST. PAUL. 273 

If this little relation faithfully -describes the manner of 
thinking, which is too common among the clergy of the 
day ; is it not evident, that they are more disposed to ridi- 
cule, than to preach, the christian hope; and abundantly 
more earnest to obstruct, than assist their parishioners, in 
the pursuit of everlasting blessedness ? 

When the dawn of this glorious hope first began to glim- 
mer : when, at the descent of the mount of Olives, the 
whole company of the disciples began to praise God, with 
a loud voice, strewing the way by which their Lord was to 
pass with garments and branches of trees, and crying out 
before him ; Hosanihi to the Son of David : blessed is he that 
cometh in the name of the Lord : Hosanna in ihe highest ! 
Some of the pharisees, who had mixed among the multi- 
tude, rudely exclaimed, Master, rebuke thy disciples* And 
when he was entered into the temple, the chief priests and 
scribes [those models by which the generality of ministers 
seem anxious to form themselves] seeing the wonderful things 
that he did, and the children crying Hosanna, weft sore dis- 
pleased, and said unto him, Hearest thou nhat these say ? And 
Jesus answered them, Yea; have ye never read, Out of the 
mouth of babes and suckhngs thou hast perfected praise ? I tell 
you, that if these should hold their peace, the stones would intme- 
diately cry out (c). There still exists the same opposition 
betwixt those, who cordially embrace the Gospel, and 
those, who ungratefully reject it. As often as the former 
are perceived to give a loose to the transports of their grati- 
tude, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God ; the worldly 
minister, displeased to observe any thing that appears to re- 
proach his own lukewarmness, is prepared to counteract the 
motion* of that joyful hope, which he deems no better than 
the confidence of presumptuous fanatics. But the minister, 
who imitates St. Paul, on observing such a scene, will cry 
out with that great Apostle : Now the God of hope Jill you 
with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope 
through the power of the Holy Ghost. 

If penitents are not pointed to the blessedness of this 
hope ; they will strive, like Cain, to stifle their remorse* by 
passionately abandoning themselves to the business and en- 
joyments of the present world: or, like the Israelite^ who 

found 
(c) Matt, xxi. Luke six. 



276 THE PORTRAIT- OF ST. PAUL. 

found not Sufficient pleasure in religion to banish the recol- 
lection of Egypt's vanities, they will indulge that spirit of 
trifling, which the Apostle thus describes — The people uit 
down to eat and to drink, and rose up to play (a). On the con- 
trary, when the christian is directed to the hope of his high 
calling; he finds it a source of unutterable consolation : and 
having discovered the treasure hidden in the Gospel field, 
for joy thereof he selleth his all, in order to purchase that fields 
He now renounces, without pain, what before had hindered 
him in running the heavenly race, counting nothing dear to 
himself, that he may finish his course with joy, and insure 
the crown of everlasting life. So powerfully were 

the first christians supported by this Gospel hope, that they 
remained immoveable amidst the sorest calamities of life, 
and suffered death itself with a courage that astonished their 
persecutors. But when they lost their confidence, like 
Dernas, they began to indulge the fond hopes and foolish 
fears of the present world, becoming altogether weak as 
other men : and such are the generality of christians at this 
day. The love of many is waxing cold, while the church 
of God is evidently falling into ruins: and how shall we 
assist to rekindle that love, or repair that church, but by 
zealously proclaiming abroad the hope of the Gospel ? 



The true Minister preaches Christian Charity. 

jLf the evangelical pastor proclaims repentance, faith, and 
hope, it is with a view of leading sinners- to that christian 
charity, which is justly esteemed the crown of every grace. 
In preaching repentance, he lays the axe to the root of 
every corrupt tree. Jn preaching faith, he plants the tree 
of life. When he preaches hope, he causes that tree to put 
SfbVflS a beautiful blossom : but, when he preaches charity, 
he calls forth the rich fruit from every vigorous branch. 
And while he is engaged in performing the various parts 
of this important work, he denounces the anathemas of the 
Gospel against that repentance, faith, and hope, which are 
superficial, unfruitful, and delusive. 

the 

(d) I Cor. x. 7. 



THE PORTRAIT Or ST. PAUL. 277 

The minister of the day piques Himself upon preaching 
morality, which he is drdinarit y accustomed to do in the 
manner of an heathen philosopher. Unacquainted with the 
importance and power of the doctrines of Christianity, he is 
ashamed to walk in the traces of St. Paul. If he is enabled 
to paint, with any degree of ability, the serpents of envy, 
the inquietudes of avarice, and the delights of charity, he 
imagines that he shall readily dispose his neighbours to love 
as brethren. He knows not, that the law of the spirit of life in 

ist Jesus is that alone, which can make any man free from 
the law of sin and death, by delivering him from that envy, 
that avarice, that ambition, that indifference, and those 
worldly fears, which are incompatible with evangelical charity. 
What the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh t 
i. e. our degenerate nature, which has need of stronger 
motives and more powerful supports than those, which the 
law proposes ; God sending his own Son inthe likeness of sin* 
fdjlesii, and for sin, coridemnedsininthejlesh: that, by the 
new motives and the divine assistance offered in the Gospel, 
the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us 9 who, being 
regenerate, walk not after the flesh, but after the spirit (a). 

The judicious pastor, observing the same connection 
between the morals and doctrines of Christianity, as between 
the root and fruit of a vigorous tree, is constrained incessantly 
to preach those important truths, which naturally give rise 
to the three above mentioned graces : and he is perfectly 
assured, that wherever these truths are permitted to take 
root, he shall shortly rejoice over the inestimable fruits of 
christian charity. This mode of acting is equally conformable 
to reason and revelation. By publishing those doctrines, up- 
on which the necessity of repentance is founded, he exter- 
minates pride and inordinate self-love, which are the greatest 
obstacles to charity. By preaching the doctrines of faith, he 
gives rise to that universal lox-e, which extends to God and 
man. Thus when a sinner sincerely believes, that God is 
lovefo) : when, penetrated with admiration and gratitude, 
he can say with the Apostle ; / live by the faith of the Son of 
God, who loved me and gave himsef for me (c) : at that 
moment, he necessarily feels a degree of affection toward 
the creating Father, and the redeeming Son, whom he longs 
to imitate, and whom he rejoices to obey. This love is as 

A a bound- 

(a) Rom. viii. 4, (b) 1 John iv, 16. (c) Gal. ii. 20. 



278 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

boundless as it is ardent, and reaches to the most unworthy 
of his fellow creatures, enabling him, according to the ex- 
ample of Christ, to sacrifice for his very enemies, not only 
outward comforts, but even life itself. Hence the christian 
faith is said to work by love. Now if this lively persuasion 
of the unspeakable blessings, which God hath already given 
us in Christ Jesus, is sufficient to produce a good degree of 
charity ; it is evident that a zvell-grounded hope of greater 
blessings still to come, must serve to strengthen and increase 
this charity. And if we are fully persuaded, that our la- 
bours of love shall never be forgotten ; that even a cup of 
cold water, imparted for the love of Christ, shvll not go un- 
rewarded ; what influence may not such an hope be ex- 
pected to have, in opening the heart to universal benevo- 
lence, and in producing all the fruits of evangelical charity f 

Convinced, that to plead for charily, without insisting 
upon the doctrines, by which it must be supported, would 
be building a house without laying a solid foundation ; the 
true minister industriously labors to explain the nature, to 
exhibit the motives, and represent the effects, of this won- 
drous grace, in the clearest manner. To some, indeed, 
such discourses are vain; but others among his hearers are 
found, who, ravished with the loveliness of this virtue, and 
constrained by those motives which the Gospel proposes, 
betake themselves to the exercise of it with as much ardor, 
as the voluptuous run to their sensual entertainments. 

Darkness differs not more from light, than the charity of 
the faithful minister differs from that of a scribe ill-instructed 
in the mysteries of the kingdom. The love of the good 
pastor rejoketh not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth (d), 
which frequently comes to humble human pride. On the 
contrary, the charity which every false Apostle preaches, is 
no more than the phantom of a virtue, consoling the heart 
in the midst of sin, rejoicing in a lie, and resting upon 
assurances altogether contrary to the word of God. To 

be charitable, according to the notions of these men, is to 
indulge a persuasion, that there is much to be abated of the 
threatenings contained in the Gospel ; and that St. Paul is 
far beside the truth, when he declares, that no unclean or 
covetous person hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ 
(e). It is to believe, that the Holy Spirit was too severe, 

when 
(d) 1 Car. xiii. 6. (c) Epb. v. 5. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 279 

when it dictated to St. James, that he who is a friend of the 
world, is the enemy of God } and violates his baptismal vow in 
as full a sense, as adulterers violate the sacred vow of con- 
jugal fidelity (f). It is to insinuate, that Christ himself 
overpassed the bounds of reason, when he publicly cried 
out ; Whosoever shall say to his brother, thou fool, shall be in 
danger of Hell -f re (g). Judge not, saith the Redeemer, that 
ye be not judged (h). But, according to the sentiments of 
these erring guides, to be divinely charitable, is to conclude 
from this precept, that a man may even revoke the judg- 
ments of Christ himself : thus, under pretext of not judging 
those, who are evidently walking in the road to perdition, 
they indirectly give judgment against the Redeemer, as 
bearing a false testimony. In errors like these it is, that the 
world will needs have the greatest part of charity to consist. 

The true minister attacks this false grace, as an enemy 
to the truth of the Gospel, while he pleads for that Christ- 
like charity, which may properly be called the sister of truth. 
He asserts the dignity and power of truth 5 holding it up to 
the veneration and love of those, who would not wilfully 
offend the God of truth. Let us, continues he, speaking the 
truth in love, grow up into him in all things, which is the head, 
even Christ (i) : and, having first purified our souls in obeying 
the truth, let us love one another with a pure heart fervently (k). 
Between these scriptural companions he will suffer no sepa- 
ration to take place ; and when they are treated by the in- 
judicious, as enthusiastic and heretical, he will dare to stand 
forth in defence of these two confederate virtues. 

Another opinion, that generally prevails among, the pro- 
fessor* of Christianity, is, that charity consists in giving alms 
to the poor: ^ind this opinion is earnestly contended for by 
many, although the pharisees, who were regarded by our 
Lord as serpents and vipers (1), through their want of un~ 
feigned charity, were yet remarkable for their generosity in 
alms-giving. St. Paul manifestly opposes this erroneous no- 
tion, where he declares, that it is possible for a man to gipe 
all his goods to feed the poor, and yet be destitute of charity 
(m). The faithful pastor, it is true, maintains, that every 
charitable perso* is constrained to assist the poor, according 

A a 2 to 

(f ) James iv. 4. (g) Matt. v. 22. (h) Matt. vii. 1. (i) Eph. W. !5 
(k) 1 Pet. fc 22. (1) Matt, xxiii. 33. (m) 1 Cor.xiii. 3. 



280 'the portrait op st% pavi. 

to his ability : but he adds, that alms-giving is as uncertain 
a mark; of charity, as a constant attendance upon the sacra- 
mental table, is an equivocal .evidence : oi faith : since it. is 
as possible to relieve the poor through weakness or vanity, 
as to receive the holy communion t&ioagh timidity or 
custom* 

If the charity of \yorldly inen is ever found to exceed 
this description, yet it will always be limited U> the necessi- 
ties of the body. As they- know not, how far the immortal 
spirit, is superior |o tiie perishing body,- whjch must soou be 
blended with £jhe dust.of a- thousand carcases; it is no won- 
der, that their chiei' concern is engrossed by the latter. The 
welfare of (heir p\yi) souls is attended to with a very small 
degree pf solicitude jg^di* pv&jjle this U the case, it cannot 
be imaging ijhai tr^y should mauiiist any iesUraordinary 
degree of affection towards the souls of their neighbours. 
They behold, without sorrow, those deluded partisans, who 
make war upon each other for the sake of their particular 
errors : they can even gaze, without pity, upon those obdu- 
rate souls, who are desperately plunging from one abyss of 
sin to another, flow different were the feelings pf Day id, 
when, like a true penitent^ jie not only wept Ibr his own 
offences, but shed torrents of fears for those, who trans- 
gressed (he law pf God (n). .And how contrary was the 
character of St. Paul, whp went through a kind of spiritual 
travail, iiil the degenerate, were horn, again (o). It) like 



manner, the primitive christians exposed therrrseives to im- 
minent dangers, that they might give proofs of the man ex- 
alted charity, by snatching souls from sin and death. , And 
when they were not able to effect thjs by their external 
labors, they then wrestled in their closets, with ardent 
prayers and tears, for the conversion of the ungodly. Where 
there is no desire after the salvation of others, there truz 
charity is unknown : for while a man disregards the soul of 
his neighbour, all the interest he takes in his temporal affairs 
can manifest no more than the charily of a disciple of Epicu- 
rus, which fsfas far below the charity of Christ's disciples 
as materialism is inferior io Christianity. 

In opposition to all the false ideas, which have been re- 
ceived upon this subject, the minister of the new testament 

teaches 
(n) Fsaliii c*iy r . \$$. (o) Gal. iv. 19. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 28 i 

teaches, that charity is the image of God: and that eternal 
and infinite charity, is nothing less than God himself. One 
.Apostle declares, that God is love ; and another assures us,, 
that we are called to be made partakers of the divine nature 
(q) : whence the sacred preacher infers, that the new crea- 
ture, of which St. Paul makes mention (q), must necessarily 
consist in charity. When a christian is filled with charity. 
he is then regenerate and born of God. Christ is then 
formed in his heart, the Holy Spirit rests upon him, and 
he is filled ivilh aft tkefulmss of God (r). He keeps the first 
commandment of the law, by making a full surrender of his 
heart to God, from a consciousness that he is in himself the - 
sovereign good : but he chiefly loves him in the person cF 
Christ, through whom the Father is pleased peculiarly to 
shine forth, as a God of love. In a secondary sense/ he 
loves the works of God, in ail their wonderful variety, as 
they shadow forth his matchless per lections, and place them 
within the reach of man's understanding. And his esteem 
for these admirable productions, is in proportion to the near- 
er or more distant relation, in which they stand to that 
eternal wisdom, which formed them all. Guided by this 
principle, he loves all mankind with an extraordinary degree 
tf affection. The soul of man is peculiarly dear to him, be- 
cause created in the image of God, and redeemed with the 
b'ood of his beloved Sen : .while, as the organized vehicle 
of the soul, he admires and -loves the perishable body. As 
the souls of the poor and the rich are equally immortal, he 
is never meanly prejudiced in favor of the latter; but, on 
the contrary, is ever ready tq prefer a poor and pious beg- 
gar, before a sensual and supercilious noble. Thus the true 
christian cherishes the faithful, not only for love of the Cre- 
aior and Redeemer, but also for love of the sanctifying ■•Spirit, 
unto whom their souls are consecrated as living altars, an$ 
their bodies as hallowed tuples (s). From ihh. div-hve-chti^ 
r% good, works of every kind proceed, as irora an inex- 
haustible fountain ; a fountain which is making, as.it were 
continual, efforts to enrich the barren soil around it. But, 
where this is warning, all external appearances are without 
any real value : the lavish giver loses ):is worth before pious 

Aa3 men, 

(p) ( 2 Pet I 4, .(q) .2. Cor. v. 17. . .( r ) Bab, iii. 16. TQ ; i 

(s) 1 Con vi. 19; 2?, 



282 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. J^UJ*. 

men, and ihe zealous martyr his reward before a righteous 
God. . 

Uniting in his own heart the love of G.op with the love 
©f his neighbour, the true minister anxiously endeavours to 
demonstrate the folly of those,, who seek to separate these 
important duties. He maintains, that charity without piety 
is but a mere natural virtue, which discovers itself as fre- 
; quently- in the brute creation, as among un regenerate men. 
'The swallow and the bat are careful of their young — the 
beaver and the ant are observed to labor for the respective 
.societies, of which they are individuals; and the she- bear 
Js ready to meet death in defence of hqr cubs. On this ac- 
count, the good pastor furnishes his flock with those exalted 
motives to christian love , which, by giving a. divine principle 
to natural ebaritv, ennobles it in man, and renders it divine. 

As charity, without piety, is no more than a natural vir- 
tue^ and may be the effect of pharisaical or diabolical 
pride; so devotion, without brotherly love, is but a species 
§f hypocrisy, as our Lord himself teaches in the following 
passage. If thow bring thy gift to the altar, and there remem- 
qerest thai thy brother lutth aught against thee,; leave there thy 
gift* before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy 
• 'brother , and then come and offer thy gift, which would other- 
wise- be rejected as an abomination, by the Gor>of love (t). 
Tme charity embraces all men, because, being made of one 
blood, they compose but one vast family, of which God 
himself is the great parent. And here, our Lord permits us 
not tp except even our most cruel enemy. Ye have heard, 
saith he, that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbour* 
mid kyte thine enemy: but I say unto you, love your enenues ; 
bfcss them, that curse you ; do good to them, that hate you ; and;. 
manifesting a concern for their souls, as -well as an attention 
to their persons, pray for them that despit fully use and perse- 
cute you; ihutyemay be the children of your Father, which is in 
Heaven: for he maketh his sua Jo fise on the evil A and Ion the 
good (u). 

Charity consists of two parts, patience arid benevolence* 
By the one, we suffer every kind of indignity, without en r 
tertaining a. thought of revenge \ and, by the other, we 

heap 

(t) Matt, v. 83,.24v («) ^tt. v. 43, 45, 



T££ PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 233 

-neap upon our enemies unsolicited favors. Our adorable 
Master, whose conduct has furnished us with examples of 
the most.perfict charity, discovers to us the extent of this 
virtue, in the following passages. The world hath hated 
both me and my 'Father (vv) : nevertheless, God so loved the 
world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that ivhosoevei' believeth 
in htm should not perish, but have everlasting life (x) : . It hath 
been said, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth ; and the 
time is coming, when it. shall be said, a thrust with a sword 
for an abusive word ; a, pistol shot for a satyrical expression ; 
but, I say unto you, resist not, according to the maxims of 
those, by whom you are evii-entreated; but whosoever shall 
smite thee on thy right cheek, iuvn to hi tn the other also : i. t\ 
suffer two insults, -rather than revenge one. Follow the 
same rule likewise with respect to your worldly substance, 
and if any ?wn will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, 
let him have thy cloak also : i. e. far from exacting with rigor, 
be ready to remit much of thy right, for the maintenance of 
peace: since it is better to suffer a double injustice, than.to 
'lack condescension and charity. And whosoever slndl compel 
thee to go a mile, gowi(h hi/n..tivahi: i. e. merely yielding to 
others in things, that are good, or indifferent, is not enough ; 
thy charity should rather prevent and surprize them with un- 
expected acts ofeivility and kindness* From these expres- 
sions it appears, that our Lord would have his disciples to 
possess a charity, not only extraordinary in some degree, 
but altogether divine. In point of quality, he requires, that 
it should be equal to the inexpressible love of the Father ; as a 
drop taken from the ocean is of the same nature with those 
mighty waves > that roll aver the unfathomable deep. If 
ye love them, saith he, thai love you ; what reward lutve you ? 
do not even the publicans so ? Be ye, therefore , perfect in. cha- 
rity, even as your Father, which is in Heaven* is perfect (y). 

Faith, unspeakably excellent a.s it is, would be void; of 
any real worth, unless it produced this happy disposition. 
In. Christ, saith the Apostle, .the whole body of the faitWu^r 
fitly joined together, and compacted by that which every, joint. 
sirpptieth, according to the. effectual workings in the measure -.of 
every party maketh increase of the body, unto the edifying of 
itself in love (z). In Jesus Christ neitfie)* circumcision avail- 

(ir)J9hiKsv<2^ ( x ) Johaiii. l&. 10-fifctfeV. (z)$^.-to : r5, w, 



284 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

eth any tiling, nor uncircumcision ; but faith , which vjorketh by 
love (a) : and though 1 have alt faith, so that I could remove 
mountains, and have not charity, / am ?ioth?ng(b). This 
celestial grace runs through the whole circle of christian 
virtues. Thus, when St. Paul enumerates the traits or 
effects of the Spirit, he points to charity as the foremost of 
the train : and when St. Peter recounts trie virtues, which a 
christian should add to his Jaith, he concludes with the finish- 
ing graces oi brotherly kindness and charity (c). Both 
these ideas are afterwards united by the great Apostle, 
where he exhorts the Colossians to put on charity, as that 
bond of perfect ness [d), without which the christian character 
would be incomplete ; and which may be said to include ail 
the graces of the Spirit, as a thousand ears oi corn are united 
in the same sheaf by one common band. 

It was with these sublime views of charity , -hat St.. Paul 
ihus addressed his converts : By love serve one another ; for 
all the laiv is fulfilled in one nor d, tven in this, Thou shall love 
thy neighbour as thyself (e) . One no man any thing, but to love 
one another, for he that hveth another, in obedience to Chrises 
com man d , hath fulfilled the laiv ( f ) . C n a r r t y never failcth ; 
inasmuch as it is the source iff heavenly joy. Noiv, in the 
church militant, abide faith, hope, and charity, but the greatest 
cf these is charity, which shall eternally animate the 
church triumphant (g)\ 

Even here on earth, it is counted, as the beginning of 
eier nal life, to know, by faith, ibzlGodis tovE : , and that he 
seeks to gain our affections by; blessings without number, 
(h), A discovery of this kind cannot, but, give rise to some 
grateful return in the soul; since it is impossible firmly to 
believe these ravishing truths, withoutcrying out, like the 
Hrst christians; We love him, because lie first loved I us (1). If 
God has mercifully made the first advances toward his re- 
bellious creatures ; if, notwithstanding the 'distance, between 
him and us be infinite, and the obstacles to our union innu- 
merable, he yet graciously presents himself in. spite of all ; 
if he yet inclines to pardon the guilty, and endeavours to 
reconcile the world unto himself by Jesus Christ (k) ; what 

conscious 

(a) Gal. v. 6. (T>) 1 Cor. xiii. 2/ S (c) Gal. v. ' °<2. 2 Pet. i. 7. 
(ityColos. iii. 14. (e) Gal. v. 15, !4. (f) Rom. xiii. 8. (g) 1 Cor,vjiL 8, !3, 
' (h) Johnavii. 3. (i) lJuhriiv. 19. (k) 2 Cor.-v. i8.-' 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 2S5 

conscious heart can he unaffected with these tokens of his 
lave, or what tongue be silent in his praise ? 

This God at chanty thus affectionately addresses an an- 
cient class of his servants ; / have loved thee iviih an everlast- 
ing lov e : therefore, %dth loving-k endue ss have J drawn thee 
(I). The favor, which he here expresses to ward the Jewish 
church, is great ; but that, which he testifies to the christian 
church, is still more astonishing. His Son, the living and 
eternal image of his Father, humbles himself to the dust, and 
invests himself with our nature, that, raising us from our low 
estate, he may, at length, place us at the right hand of the 
Majesty on high. lie loved ike church, saith St. Paul, and 
gave himself for it, that he might sanctify and cleanse it, and 
that he might present it to himself, n glorious church, not having 
spot or wrinkle, or any jsuch tlung (m). Thus he has given to 
believers an example of the love, which they ought to enter- 
tain for all their christian brethren, and to husbands a pat- 
tern of the attachment they should feel to their wives; 
since he left iho bosom of his Father, for the very purpose of 
suffering with and for his church, which, in the language of 
scripture., is called his spouse (n). But, adds the Apostle, 

i$ a great mystery (o). Now the true minister is 

happily initiated into this grand mystery of chariiy. He can 
say, with Peter; Lord i thou knowest ail things, titou k iuwe>t 
thai 1 love thee: he can testify with Paul ; T/ie love u/C'trist 
consiraineth me :. and, at other times, when the emoiions of 
his heart are too tender for utterance, tears of gratitude :n J 
joy silently cry out, like those of dissolving Mary, Lord 
ihou art worthy of all my love, since thou hast graciously 
pardoned all my sin. Animated w T ith this love, he publicly 
insists upon universal charity, with all the ardor of St. John ; 
testifying that it fiow T s from the knowledge of God, and 
must be considered as the root of christian obedience. 
Hereby i sajth he, perceive we the lovs of God, because he laid 
down his life for us : and zue ought to lay doivn our lives for the 
brethren* My little children t let us not love in word, neither in 
tongue; but, according to the example of Christ, in deed and 
in truth (p) : for, if God so loved us, we ought aUo to love one 

another. 

1 1) Jsr. xxxL 3. (m) Epk v. 25, 27. (n) "Rev. xix. 7. 
fo) £p:i v, . : John iii, 16, 18, 



286 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FA T JL» 

another. And remember, he that loveth not, knoweth not God, 
for God is love (q). 

Although Christ evidently came to break down the wall 
of separation between the Jews and Gentiles, by preaching 
the doctrine of universal charity; vet he willed, thai be- 
lievers should love one another with a peculiar degree of 
affection. We are required to meet the unregenerate with 
a love of benevolence : but believers should be bound to 
each other by ties so tender and powerful, that the world 
may acknowledge them to be men of one heart and one 
soul* By this, saith our Lord, shall all men know, that ye are 
My disciples, if ye have "love one to another (r). And who 
can describe the generosity, the sweetness, the strength, 
and the constancy, of this enlivening grace ? It is more ac- 
tive than the penetrating flame-? it is stronger than death. 
The communion of saints, is received • among christians as a 
sentence in their established creed : happy would it be, did 
it constitute a pafVof tfoeir religious experience ! As 

to the difference betwixt christian charity, and that which 
was -required under the law; it seems to be satisfactorily 
pointed out by St. John, in the following passage : Brethren, 
J write no new commandment unto yon, Out an old command* 
mtnfwfiichye bad from the beginning: for Moses himself ear- 
nestly exhorted his people to maintain among themselves 
the fire of fraternal love. Again, a new commandment 1 write 
unto you (s) ; new, in relation to Christ, who hath loved us 
not onl) as himself,- but even more than himself ; since he 
offered up his life a ransom for the rebellious. Moses tasted 
not of death for Pharaoh, as Jesus did for Pilate, Herod, 
and Caiaphas. The christian legislator alone requires a 
charity ot this perfectly disinterested nature; and for the 
support of so exalted a precepi, he has seconded it with his 
own great example. Herein is love, continues the Apos- 
tle ; not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his 
Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Love, then, is un- 
doubtedly of God ; flowing from him, as from an inexhaust- 
ible spring; and he that lovith, after the same pure and 
fervent manner, is boi^n of God, and knoweth God (t). 

This charity is set forth by St. Paul, as a source of conso- 
lation- 

(d) l John iv, 11,8. (r) John xiii. 35. (s) 1 John 8; 1, 3, 
(t) 1 Jckn iv. 7, 11. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUi. 287 

lation. If, saitb he to the Philippians, there be any comfort 
in love, be ye like-minded, having the same love one to an- 
other: and, let this mind be in you, which xvas also in Christ 
Jesus (u). And in another epistle, he cries out ; / have a 
zreat conflict* for them at Laodicea, that their hearts might be 
comforted r , being knit together in love (w). 

1. Charity may be considered as a spring of comfort, 
because it frees us from the fear of death, and delivers us 
from a thousand other terrors, which trouble the peace of 
worldly men. There is no fear in love ; but perfect love, 
hoping all things, casteth out fear : because fear hath torment. 
He, therefore, thatjeareth, is not made -perfect in love (x). 

2. Charity is consoling, because it assists and encourages 
us in the discharge of our several duties. When we glow 
with affection to God and our neighbour, works of piety 
and charity are performed, not only without pain, but with 
heart-felt sensati: ns of secret delight. Tins i$ the love of 
God, that we keep his commandments ■: and to those who sin- 
cerely love him, his commandments are nzt grievous (y). 
Thus, a tender mother loses her repose, without repining, 
that she may attend to the wants ( f her restless infant : thus, 
an affectionate father labors, with pleasure, for the support 
and education of his children ; and thus, with every testi- 
mony of joy, the primitive christians relieved and supported 
one another. The admirabl« effects produced by this un- 
feigned love, are described by St. Luke in the following 
terms : The multitude of them that believed, were of one heart 
and one soul ; neither said any of them, that aught of the things 
which he possessed was his own: but, losing siglrt of every 
self-interested view, they had all things common (z). 

Here, we behold that eminently accomplished by Christy 
which was anciently prefigured under Moses in the desert ; 
when the manna was so equally distributed among the peo- 
ple, that he who gathered much, had nothing over, and he who 
gathered little, had no luck {a). Happy were there fleetino- 
days of christian fellowship ! Days, that had long been pro- 
mised by God, and of which a foretaste had been given in 
the land of Canaan ; when it was ordained that, during the 
year of jubile, the poor should be permitted to share the 

cemforts 

(u) Phil. ii. J-, 6. (w) Coloss. ii. 1, 2. (x) 1 John iv. 18. 
(y) 1 John v. 3. (z) Acts iv. 32. <a) Exed. xvi. 1 8, 



233 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. I'AUE, 

comforts of their richer neighbours. It must Be allowed, 
that a multitude -of insincere professors overspreading the 
church in these melancholy times, will not permit this 
method to be generally adopted among us, which would, 
nevertheless, be entirely practicable in a country inhabited 
by the affectionate followers of Jesus. But, at the same 
time, it is no less true, that every individual who is possessed 
of real charity, is still treading in the steps of his elder bre- 
thren, and waiting only the return of favorable times to 
prove, that Jesus Chr ist is the same yesterday ', to-day, and for 
ever (b) ; and that unfeigned charity , in the same circumstan- 
ces, will ever produce the same effects. 

It is impossible too highly to exalt this -charity* which 
springs from a grateful sense of the redemption that is in 
Jesus. He, who is unacquainted with this grace, is a 
stranger to every real virtue, and utterly destitute of that 
holiness, without ivhich no man shall see the Lord (c). Hence 
we find, the Apostle Paul so frequently connecting holiness 
with love, or rather pressing the latter, as that in which the 
former may be said principally to consist. God, saith he, 
hath chosen us in Christ, that we should be holy and without 
blame before him in love (d). Let Christ dweikin your hearts 
by faith; that ye being rooted and grounded in love, maybe 
able to comprehend with all saints; what is the breadth and 
length and depth and height; and to know the love of Christ, 
which passeth knowledge, that ye. might be filled with- all the fid- 
ness of* God (e). Tlie Lord make you to increase and abound 
in love one taivard another, and toward all men: to the end 
that he may establish your hearts unblameable in holiness before 
God (f ). . 

Knowledge alone puffeth up, but charity, added to' know- 
ledge, cdifieth (g), and conducts the soul, from grace to 
grace, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ ' 
(h). Happy they, who have attained to this high de- 
gree of spirituality, from which, with a look of pure bene- 
ficence, they can smile on all around them ! Such may join 
the first professors of Christianity, and say ; We have known 
and bdieved the love, that God hath to us: and, penetrated 
with a deep sense of his affection, we declare, from happy 

experience, 

(b) Hcb. xiiu 8. (c) Heb. xii. 14. |(d) Eph. I 3, 4. (e) Eph. ili. 17, 1 8. 
(f) 1 Thess. iii. 12, 13. (g) I Cor. viii. 1. (h) Eph. iv. 13. 



THE POP-TRAIT OF ST PAUL. 2S9 

experience, that God is love ; and he that divdleih in love, 
■dletk in Gad, and God in him (i). The love of these per- 
severing disciples may, in a scriptural sense, be termed 
perfect; since it enables them to bear a just, though feint 
resemblance to the God of love(k). Their hearts are as 
replete with charity, as sparks are filled with fire : and 
doubtless the smallest spark may be said to shine, with a, 
degree of perfection, in its little sphere, as well as the 
brighter sun in his more boundless course. 

St. Paul, who preached this charity with so much fer- 
vency, declares, that it was kindled in his heart by the 
lore of Clxrist ; and, upon this account, he labors to found it 
upon those doctrines, which are universally despised by 
every class of deists. In his epistle to the Romans, which 
contains sixteen chapters, he employs eleven in bying this 
solid foundation ; while the duties of charity are declared 
only in the rive remaining chapters. Like a wise master- 
builder, before he attempts to raise this sacred edifice, he 
endeavours to remove out of the way the ruins* of corrupted 
nature, and the rubbish of self-love. But had he endea- 
voured to do this, without calling in to his aid the doctrines 
of the Gospel, he would have acted as ridiculously as Ar- 
chimedes, had that philosopher attempted the removal of 
earth, without having iirst secured a solid footing suited 
to his purpose. 

The most powerful motives employed by this Apostle, 
in urging us to the practice of christian charity, are the love 
of God, and the compassion of Christ. God, saith he, coin- 
mendeth his love toward us, in that ivhile we v*ere yet sinners, 
Christ died for us {I) : and, ye knoiv the grace of our Lord 
Jesus Christ, that though he uhis rich, yet for your sakes he be- 
came poor, that ye, through his poverty, might be rich(m). 
Now, whoever is sensible of the power, and tastes the 
sweetness, of these two grand truths, feels himself, at the 
same time, carried to every good work, in the same man- 
ner as the miser is led to those actions, which serve to in- 
crease his hoard. For, being saved by grace, through faith, 
in these very truths, we are created by Christ Jesus unto good 
:-vO;\vS (n). Who gave himself for us, on this sole account, 

- Bb. that 

i i) 1 John iv. 16. . (k) .1 John iv. 17. (1) Rom, v. 8. 

(m) 2 Cor. vlii. 9, (n) Epfa. ii. 8, 10, 



g&Q THE PORTRAIT OF $$* &AVL, 

that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto him- 
self a peculiar people, zealous ofgoodv:orks (o). The conso- 
latory doctrine of a gratuitous pardon offered to sinners, as 
a token of God's unfathomable love, is another motive fre- 
quently made use of to the like purpose. Put on, continues 
the same Aposde, as the elect of God, bowels of mercies, 
kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, long-suffering; form 
bearing one another > and forgiving one another, if any man 
have a quarrel against any : even as Christ forgave you, so atso 
doy e (V)' Above all things have fervent charity among 
yourselves : for charity shall cover the multitude of sins (q). 
Yes, it not only covers the sins of others, by considering 
their doubtful actions in the most favorable point of view, 
and by overlooking the most unpardonable of their failings ; 
but may, in some measure, be said to cover our own oflen* 
ees, since God, for Christ's sake, has promised to overlook 
our transgressions, as we give proof of a forgiving temper 
toward our brethren. Discord entered into the 

world by sin. Hence, we see unregenerate men not only 
separated from God, but divided among themselves : and 
hence, by the rebellion of his growing passions against his 
enfeebled reason, every unrighteous man is at war with 
himself. Dreadful as these evils are, we are here presented 
with a perfect remedy for them all. He, who created man 
upright v hath sent his Son to re-establish harmony in the 
world, to reduce our passions under the government of love, 
to subject our reason to the authority of truth, and to subdue 
the whole man under the sweet yoke of charity ma- 
nifested in the flesh; that charity, which is destined 
to reign for ever, and whose happy empire is called the 
Kingdom of Heaven. The Father of glory, says St. 

Paul, hath put all things under the feet of Christ, and hath 
given him to be the head over all things to the church, which is 
Ins body, the fulness of him thatfilleth all in all (r). Ye, who 
sometimes were far off, are now made nigh by the blood of 
Christ. For He is our peace, between jews and gentiles, 
between man and man, who hath made both one, and hath 
broken down the middle wall of partition between us, that he 
might reconcile both unto God in one body, by the cross, having 

slain 

(o) Tit. ii. 14. (p) Coloss. iii. "l 2, 13. (q) 1 Pet, iv. 8. 
(r) Epii. u 17, 23. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 291 

slain t!te enmity by that perfect charily, of which he gave so 
many wonderful proofs. Now, then/ore, we, who arc 
aetuated by im same spirit of love, are no more strangers and 
foreigners, ba fellow-citizens with the saints and of the house- 
hold of God; and are built upon the foundation of the ApostLs 
and Prophets, Jesus Chtist himself being the chief comer stem. 
In ivJtom the whole building, fitly framed together, groweth unto 
u:i hjly te nple ii the Lird : ii whom, also ye are budded together 
for an habitation of God, through the spirit of charity (s). 

The minister, who feeh the force of this overcoming 
motive, cannot fail to place it continually before his hearers. 
The various parts of his public discourses as naturajl^ in- 
cline to this grand point, as the several parts of a solid 
edifice mutually rest upon the common ibundation. There 
is one body, saith he with the Apostle, and one spirit-, even as 
ye are called in one hope of your calling ; one Lord, one God 
Chid Father of all, who is above alt, and through all, and in you 
ail (t). As we have many members in one body ; so we, being 
many, cue one body in Christ, and every one members one of an- 
oilier. Let iove be, therefore, without dissimulation: be 
kindly-qfectioned one to another with brotJierly dove ; in honor 
preferring one another. Rejoice with them that do rejoice; and 
iveep with them that weep. Be of the same mind one toward 
Knottier. Avenge not yourselves ; but ratlier give place unto 
wrath. J f thine enemy hunger, feed him ; if he thirst, give him 
drink. Be not overcome of evil ; but overcome evil with good 
(u). In a word, Let all your things be done with charu 

To conclude. The evangelical pastor points out the 
excellence of charity, and urges every motive that can 
lead to the practice of it, till worldly men are constrained 
to cry out, with all the admiration of the ancient heathens ■ 
" See how these christians- love one another ¥* Lucian, in- 
deed, could look with ridicule upon the zeal, with which 
the primitive christians succoured one another: t( For" 
says he, H iheir legislator has made them believe, that they 
" are all brethren ; and hence, they have all things corn- 
" won among them, despising even death itself, through 
" the hope of immortality. " The good pastor, however is 

B b 2 • anxious 

{Q Epb. Ii. 13, 22. (t) Ep!.. iv. 4, G. (u) Rom. xii. 4 21 
(w) 1 Cor.xvi. 14. ' ' 



292 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

anxious to do that, which this heathen writer was impious 
enough to censure in Christ, He admonishes believers to 
address the Almighty, as their common parent (x) ; consci- 
ous, that so soon as they receive power to cry Abba, i. e. 
Father, by the Holy Spirit, they .-will necessarily forget every 
scrupulous ■ distinction between wme and thin?, and put up, 
with unfeigned sincerity, that universal prayer, Give us 
this day our daily bread. This petition is commonly used 
by eveiy member of our degenerate church, while their 
hearts are comparatively insensible to the wants of their 
necessitous brethren. But was the love of ancient days to 
revive among, us, we should not only solicit common bless- 
ings from above, but rejoice to share them with each other, 
as brethren partake of a repast provided for them at the 
table of their common Parent. 

Happy days! when the Gospel of Christ was seen to 
flourish in the earth* Surely that sacred season might, with 
propriety, be termed the golden age of the church. O that 
we could recall the felicity we have forfeited, and see the 
joys . of unanimity restored to a distracted world. But, 
while we give vent to our lamentations, let us not sink into 
despair ; since however deplorable our present ■ circum- 
stances may be, they are not totally remediless. Though 
for so many ages, self-love has usurped the throne of charity: 
though mankind aie prone to injure one another, in their 
reputation, by slander; in their property, by injustice • and 
in their persons by murder, whether perpetrated in the 
character of an assassin, or that of a duellist ; though- wars- 
are fomented on the slightest pretences, and -christian; 
prirces appear eager to wash their hands in the blood ofl 
thousands ; though all the .earth is- full of darkness and cruel 
habitations (y) : yet will we not give up our -hope. Those: 
unhappy times were foretold by our gracious Master (z). 
And as he had prescience enough to predict the decays 
\A' christian love, and the calamities consequent thereupon ■;; 
so he is. possessed of sufficient power to re-establish the 
empire of charity in the world. Believers, then, amidst all,- 
J heir afflictions, may patiently and confidently, expect thos<j 
tones of ' nfrei-hing, which sha if assuredly come from the pre- : . 
sttfice of the Lord y looking forward to that promised resiitic-: 

(x) Luke ii, 2. (y) Psaim Ixxiv. 21. (z) Matt, xxi*. 12. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 293 

t ion of all things, concerning which God hath spoken, by the 
mouth cf all las holy Prophets, since the world began (a). In the 
rn?an while, let those who are hastening, by their prayers* 
this desirable revolution, be careful to preserve in their own 
hearts those sparks of charity , which shall one day kindle 
the universe into a sacred flame. And let the ministers of 
the Gospel make a constant display of these evangelical 
truths, which were formerly sufficient to light up this glo- 
rious fire; that, by stirring up the dying embers of grace, 
the little light, which still lemains in the church, maybe 
preserved irom total extinction. 

Should it be here objected — ■• Are not all the ministers of 
our church to be considered as preachers of christian chari- 
ty ? We answer, by no means. The charity, concerning 
which we speak, must flow from a union with Christ ; a 
union,, which ministers of the present day are accustomed 
to treat as enthusiastic and vain. This excellent grace is. 
shed abroad in cur hearts by the Holy Ghost, xuliich is given u?Uo t 
us -(b). But he, who dares openly to plead for this scrip- 
tural truth, is esteemed, by such preachers* no better than a 
deluded fanatic. These preachers are frequently heard, in- 
deed, to speak of christian charity; but* far from endeavour- 
ing to spread it through the world, they use every effort to 
destroy the very seeds of this grace in the church of God, 
If,; in a parish that is. unhappy enough U> have a pas! or of 
this kind, a few persons are happily converted to God, and 
united together in Jesus Christ ; ii' y having one heart, and 
one soul, they fret|uently join together in prayer and ij • 
praise* mutually exhorting and provoking one another !c 
love and good works;-*- the worldly minister, instantly 
alarmed, imagines, that these persons* for the sake of form- 
fog a new sect, are destroying the unity of the church : 
when^or* the contrary, they are but just about to experience 
the commumG&c$ saints. A»d*if* he is possessed of gea), or 
party-spirit, he wi$ labor to iftake it appear, that these 
christians* who ace beginning to love, as brethren, are form- 
ing cojaventictea to disturb the order both fcf church and 
slate. Sueh a minister will give encouragement to eom- 
jvaaievS of j*Jgglers, daneersv and drunkards, rather than 
toietate a society, which has christian charity for its object 
and its basis. 

JBtbS The 

(a) Acts itu T9, %h (b) Rom. v. 5. 



294 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 



The true Minister believes and preaches the three grand Promises 
of Gc d, together with the three great Dispensations of Grace. 



W; 



E have seen, m the preceding chapters, (hat believers 
are saved by a faith and an hope, which serve to feed in 
their souls l he sacred fire . of charity. Now this faith and 
this hope must necessarily have for their foundation some 
promise of God. . A promise already accomplished is em- 
braced hy faith alone; but a promise., whose accomplish- 
ment is protracted, is equally the object of faith and of hope. 
He, therefore, who is appointed by Christ a preacher of the 
everlasting Gospel, is solicitous to obtain clear ideas of the 
great prom ises of God. He is con stan tly engaged i n m ed i - 
laiing, either upon their past or future accomplishment, in 
order to maintain in his. own heart those inestimable graces, 
wjth which he is desirous to animate the souls of others* 
Observe the method, in which he considers, embraces, and 
preaches them. 

Under the dispensation of the Father, the grand promise 
wa? that, which respected the external manifestation of the 
Son-. The original promise, as made to Adam, was ex- 
pr.es$$d in the following terms : ■' The seed of the woman 
shall bruise; the head of the serpent (a). " As the Messiah 
"was. 4*) descend from Abraham, according to the flesh, the 
same promise was thus renewed to that Patriarch : In thee 
shall all families of the earth be .. blessed (b.) Inthe days of 
Moses, it was repealed to all Israel., as follows: The Lord thy 
God.wili 'raise up unto thee a prophet, front the midst cf thee, of thy 
brethren; unto him shall ye Marken (c). David and the other 
Prophets powerfully confirmed this, prophecy,; and Maiachi 
thus recapitulates the promises, which had been given be« 
ibre his time : The Lord,, ivhom ye seek, shall suddenly come to 
ft is temple^ -even the messenger ,;of 'the,, covenant wliom ye delight 
in; behold, lie shall come, saith the Lord of Hosts {a). Unto 
you, that fear my name, shall the Sun of righteousness arise xviik i 
healing in hiswiigs ; and ye shall go forth, out of your present 
obscme dispensation, and grow up, in spiritual strength, as 

calves 

(a) Gen. iil \C\ (b) Gen. xii. 3. (c) Deut. xviiL 15, 

(d)MaUiU, 



IKE rORTKAH OF. ST. PAl'L, B9 > 

calve* of iht stall (e). Tims speaks the bs| of the prophets, 

under the dispensation of the Father. 

Immediately upon the accomplishment of these promises,, 
while the dispensation of the Son was but darkly opened 
by his precursor, another promise was given for the exercise 
vf faith and lope, under l iris new economy, respecting the 
full manifestation of the Holy Ghost, as a Spirit cf truth and 
love. Behold this grand promise, as announced by John 
the baptist. 1 am not the Christ ; 1 am the voice of one crying 
in the wilderness > make straight the way of the Lord (r). J 
baptize you with -water unto repentance, as a preparation for 
the spiritual kingdom and baptism of the Messiah : but He 
that cor? let h after me, is ihighiier than 1, whose shoes 1 am not 
worthy to bear. He si rail introduce a more spiritual dispen- 
sation, and administer a more efficacious baptism; for He 
$JvUl baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire, shedding 
abroad those -gifts and graces of his Spirit, which shah pe- 
netrate and t uri:\ your Hearts, as metals aie penetrated and 
purified by matetird lire (g).. This promise is of so great 
importance, that it was thought -necessary to be repeated by 
the four Evangelists. 

Oar Lord/ continuing the dispensation, which his fore- 
runner had or en en, made and baptized more disciples than 
John, though Jesus hit)* self baptized not; with water, but his 
disciples (h). The baptism, which he was about to adminis- 
ter, was as far -supeiicr to the baptism of John, and that of 
his awn-dnci: i -. -, as the water, of which he spake to the 
woman c4 S ; was superior to the water of Jordan, or 

that of J.'tco 1 ' /,-:!, Ir'i.osotver shall drink of the water that 
I ihad grce ■ '::■:•■ $ sa^u he to that enquiring w man ; whosre- 
ver s to m\ -bsp.ism, and let down his vessel into 

the h>. Ktuiaki of my grace, shall never thirst: but 

the wa U give him, shall be in him a well of water, 

a>c... . , >ttsness, peace, and joy, springing up into 

»)• 
lengthen the hope of those, who had been 
b vater, uur L rd publicly iatifled the promise, 

i *o.fh quernl v repeated to them by John the 
last day, that great day cf the feast, Jesus stood 

and 

.(f) Johni. 20, 25. (g) Matt. iii. It 

:h) Jeiui iv. I, 2. (i) John iv. Ji. 



396 THE PORTRAIT OK ST. PAUL 

and cried ; If any 77i<in thirst, let him come unto me and drink,. 
He that belttveth on me, as, the Scriptine hath said, out of his 
hdly shall flow rivers of living ivater. But this he spake of the 
Spirit, which they that believe on him, in every age, should re- 
ceive. For the Holy Ghost was not yet fully gix>en ; liecuuse that 
Jesus ivas not yet glorified (k). An inestimable promise this, 
which deserves to be deeply engraven in the minds of those, 
who are merely acquainted with Christ, according to his ex- 
tenor appearance in the world. Observe here the method, 
by which he endeavours to prepare all such, in every coun- 
try and in every period, for his manifestation in the Spirit : 
If you love vie, keep my commandments ; be faithful to the pre- 
sent dispensation of my Gospel ; and I ivill pray the Father, 
and he will give you another Cwifortei^ that he may abide with 
you for ever. At that day, when ye shall experience the 
fulness of his presence, Ye shall know, that I am in my Father, 
and ye in me, and 1 in you. For he that loveth vie, shall be 
loved of my Father; and I will love him, and ive will come un- 
to him x and wake our, abode with him (1). By comparing 
these words with the seventeenth and twenty-sixth verses of 
{he same chapter, it is evident, that, by this spiritual manifest- 
ation of the Father and the Son, nothing less can be intend- 
ed than the fufl rheasure of that Holy Spirit, which proceedeth 
from the Father (m), and which is expressly called, tli£ 
Spirit of his Son (n). " . 

Our Lord, who knew the stupidity of those who were 
under the inferior dispensation of his Gospel, and how slow 
of heart they were to believe, what either the Prophets or 
himself had spoken, judged it expedient to repeat the grand 
promise of the Spirit again and again. When the Comforter 
is come, said he, whom J will send unto you from the father, 
lie shall testify of me (o) f It is expedient for you, that J %& 
away : for if I go not axyay, the Comforter will not eotne unt$ 
you; but if I depart^ I will send km unto you (p). Behold 
I send the promise of my Father upon you (q). 

The abundant eflusion of the Holy Spirit was termed 
by our Lord, the promise of the Father, for two reasons ; 
first, because coming to instruct mankind how to worship 
the Father in spirit and in truth, it became him to refer all 

things 

(k) John vii. 57, 39. (1> JohnxW. 15, 33- (m) John xv. 26. 
^n) Gal. iv. $, |o) Joteay. 26. (p) Jt?hu xvi, 7. (q) Luke xxtv. 49. 



TKE PC Rf RAIT OF ST. PAUL. 297 

Hhingfrto that Father rand this he was strictly and constantly 
accustomed to do. Secondly, because the Father of lights is 
to be considered as the author of; every good and perfect gift. 
It was He, who so lovec the world, that He gave his only 
begotten Son to die for the world ; and fronvHim proceeds 
that Holy Spirit, which Jesus Christ still continues to shed 
abroad among his faithful followers. The Father had already 
promised under the-lavx^ that he would grant unto his people 
a general out-pouring of the Spirit, under the reign of the 
Klessiah. The memorable prophecy of Joel, as quoted by 
St. Peter, is generally known ; and the following promises 
Equally merit the attention of believers. In that day, I will 
pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of 
Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications : and they 
iff i all look Upon me, whom they hare pierced , and they shall 
mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son (r). / ivill 
pour water upon him, that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry 
ground : I will pour my Spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing 
upon thine offspring (s), / ivill sprinkle clean water: upon you, 
tind ye shall be clean. I will put rny Spirit within you, and 
cause you to walk in my statutes (t). / will give them one heart : 
I will take the stony heart out of their flesh, and will give them an 
heart offlesli (u). That man must be prejudiced to an ex- 
treme degree, who perceives not, that these gracious pro- 
phecies began to receive their accomplishment upon the 
day of Pentecost, wheal the multitude of them that believed 
w ere of one heart undone souL 

The last day our risen Savior passed upon earth, was 
employed in strengthening the faith of his disciples, with 
respect to this promise. Alter having assembled them to- 
gether, He comimnded them to wait for the promise of the 
Father, which, continued he, ye have heard of me. For John 
truly baptized with water, and ye have done the same by my 
direction, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many 
days hence (w). 

Afier the grand promise under the dispensation of the Son 
\vas in part accomplished ; when the disciples were filled with 
iaith, and with the Holy Ghost, another promise was given 
tp exercise their faith, to fix their attention, arid to perfect 

their 

(r) Zvch. xii. 10. (s) Isaiah xliv. 3. (t) Ex. xxxvi, 25', 27. 

(u) Ez<?k. x*t. 19. (w) Act* i. 4, 5, 



293 THF. PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

their patience ; the promise pt Ovist's second comiag to 
gather his wheat into the garner, and to burn up the chaff with 
unquenchable fire (x). This tame Jeans, said the Angels, who 
appeared to the disciples on die day of inch Master's- ascen ? 
sion ; This same Jesus which is taken up from ym iiUv Heaven^ 
shall so come,, in like manner as ye have seen him go into Heaven 
(y). This important promise was alter wan is repeated by 
St. Paul and the other Apostles. The Lord Jesus shall be re- 
vea led from Heaven, with his mighty Angels, in flaming fire, 
taking vengeance on them that obey mi the Gospel ; who shall be 
punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the 
Lord, when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be 
admired in aU them that believe (a). / Behold, he cometh with 
qfouds, and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced 
hint; and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him 
(a). The day of the Lm^d will come, as a thief in the night {b). 

This coming of Christ* which is disregarded by many, 
for the reason assigned by St. Peter (c), is so fully expected 
by those, who live under the dispensation of the bpint, that 
they are constantly looking for, and hastening to, tite coining of 
the day of God (d). According to St. Paul, sinners are con- 
verted from the error of their ways, that they may serve the 
living and true God^and wait for his Son from Heaven, whom 
he faisedfrom the dead (e) ; looking for that blessed hope, and 
the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus 
Christ (f). This second coming of Christ was the object of 
this Apostle's highest hopes/ after which he represents him* 
self as groaning with the most fervent desire (g). Yea, I 
count all things but loss, continues he, that J may know him, 
and the power of his resurrection. Our conversation is in Hea* 
ten, from whence also ive look sfor the Savior, who t>hall change 
our i He body, that it may be fashioned like unto his glorious 
body, according to the working, whereby he is able even to sub- 
due all things unto himself (h). 

As God had afforded believers, under the old Testa- 
ment, a perspective view both of the manifestation 'of the 
Redeemer in a mortal 'body, and that dispensation of the 

Spirit, 

(x) Matt.iii. 12. (y) Acts i. 11. ( z ) 2 Tbess. i. 7, 10. (a) Rev. i. 7. 

(b) 2 Pet. iii. 10. (c) 2 Pet. iii. 9, 10, (d) 2 Pet. iii. 12. 

(e) 1 Jhess. i. 9, 10., (f ) Tit ii. 13. (g) Roin, vm, £3, 

(h) Philip, iii, 20, 21. 






TKE PORTRAIT OP ST. PAUL. 293 

Spirit, which he was to open among his followers under the 
new Testament ; so he had likewise foretold, by his Pro- 
phets, the glorious return of that Savior to the earth. The 
Lord comet ft, with ten thousands qf his saints, to execute judg- 
ment (i). Behold, he shall come, sakh the Lord of Hosts. Bui 
who nuiy abide the day of his coming ? and who shall stand, 
when fie appeareth ? for he is lUce a refner's fire, and like 
fuller's soap (k). 

Mark the terms, in which our Lord himself declared this 
sublime dispensation. Tiie love of many shall :^r cold. 
False prophets shall arise, and ye sfutlt see the abomination of 
desolation, spoken of by the Prophet Daniel, stand in the holy 
place. Immediately after the tribulation of i/iose days, the 
powers of the Heavens shall be shaken. And then shall appear 
the sign of the Son of man in Heaven : then shall all the tribes 
of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coining in 
the clouds of Heaven, with power and great glory. But of that 
day and hour knoweth no man. Watch tlicrefore : for ye know 
not what hour your Lord doth come (1). Thus Jesus himself 
testified of his second coming; and his first disciples, in 
conformity to their Master's declaration, addressed a large 
assembly in the following terms, almost immediately alter 
his ascension : 'Repent ye, and be converted, that your sins 
may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing sfiall come from 
the presence of the Lord ; and he shall send Jesus, which before 
was preached unto you : whom the Heaven must receive, until 
the time of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken, 
by the mouth of all his holy Prophets, since the world began (m). 

So long as a minister embraces these different promises : 
so long as, with a lively faith, which is the evidence of thi)igs 
not seen, he believes that the Father sent his Son for the 
redemption of sinners, and his Holy Spirit for the sanctifi- 
cation of believers— so long as, with a. faith which is the 
substance of things hoped for, he believes, that Christ shall 
one day return for the glorification of his saints ; so long he 
is saved by that faith and hope, which enable him to preach 
the Gospel in all its wondrous extent. So long, he not only 
comprehends, but experiences, the power of that Gospel in 
his own soul; while he labors to make it manifest before 

the 
(i) Jude 14. (k) Mai. iii. 1, 2. (1) Matt. xxiv. (m) Acts iii. 10—21. 



303 THE PORTRAIT O*' ST. PAUL. 

the world, by his public discourses and by the whole tenor 
or' his conduct. 



The true Minister studies the different Dispensations, in order to 
qualify himself for the Discharge of every Part of his Duty. 



T 



HE pastor, who is ill-instructed in the mysteries of our 
holy religion, loses himself and leads his sheep astray. The 
good pastor, on the contrary, having found out the way to 
everlasting life, presses forward therein at the head of his 
flock, and exhorts cv^ry heedless wanderer to fellow his 
steps. He is conscious, not only that he has a mixture of 
sheep and goats in his fold ; but he knows that, among the 
former, there are some, to whose spiritual condition the 
sincere milk of the word is much better adapted than 
stronger food. To all of these he studies to address himself 
in a suitable manner. To those, who are dead in trespasses 
and sin, equally destitute both of love and fear, he proclaims 
the first principles of the Gospel, such as repentance from dead 
works, faith toward God, and an eternal judgment (a). Those, 
who are already awakened from the delusions of sin, he anxi- 
ously leads into the paths of grace ; and endeavours to con- 
duct those to evangelical perfection, who have felt the powers 
of the ivorld to come (b). He easily distinguishes the mixed, 
multitude of his hearers into a variety of classes. The un- 
believing and impenitent, v\ho are to be considered as 
without God and without hope in the world, are such as 
go on, without any symptom of fear, toward the gulph of 
perdition ; whether it be by the high road of vice, with the 
notoriously abandoned, cr through the by-path of hypocrisy, 
with pharisaical professors. Converted sinners, or be- 
lievers, are either under the dispensation of the Father/ 
under that of the Son, or under that of the Holy Ghosf, 
according to the different progress they have made in 
spiritual things : and the faithful pastor is as perfectly ac- 
quainted with their various attainments, as a diligent tutor 
is acquainted with the different abilities of his several pupils. 

Believers, under the dispensation of the Father, are 

ordinarily 
(a) Heb, ?♦. % 2. (b) iwr, 6. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. MJ\ 

:arily surrounded with a night of uncertainty and doubt, 
though visited, at times, with a few scattered rays of kopje, 

Linger the dispensation of the Son, ^he doubts of believers 
are dissipate^ like those of the two disciples wljojpurrjeyed 
to Emmaas; while they discover more clearly, and 'Scperi- 
ence more powerfully, the truths of the Go^pc;. 11. ., 
under the dispensation of the Spirit, they 
(c), and are led lato all truth, by the Spirit bftfut 
the eatointing, which they have received, abidcth in tfi&m, 
(cacheih them of all things necessary to salvation (o). 

A father of the church paraphrasing these words of 
Apostle, Lord, save us ; we perish /---thus apostrophizes the 
doubling disciples • ' You have your Savior with ybii; what. 
c danger can you fear? We are yet, they reply, brft 
( children, and have attained but to a small degree of 
( strength : hence, we are afraid. The descent of the 
1 Holy Spirit, that divine protector, which lias been gra- 
e ciously promised, has not yet filled us with full assurance. 
' This has been the cause of our unsteadiness hitherto : and 
( hence, the Savior so frequently reproaches us with the 
{ weakness of our faith (f).' Now, all those christians;, 
who have not yet received the spiritual baptism so fre- 
quently mentioned in the new Testament, are shut up in 
this state of weakness and doubt. But so soon as they are 
born of the Spirit, they cry out no longer with trembling 
tear ; Save its ; w€ perish ! bat they cry out in transports of 
gratitude, God, according to his mercy, hath saved us, by the 
wasTiing of regeneration and renewzng of the Holy Ghost, wJiii i 
he hath shed on us abu trough Jesus Chris; on, Sa- 

vior (g). 

Under the dispensation of the Fa:her, believers con- 
stantly experience the fear of God ; and, in general, a 
much greaier degree oifear than love. Under the econo.nv 
of the Son, love begins to gain the ascendancy over/c.;/ . 
But, under the dispensation of the Holy Spirit, perfect love 
casleA out f ear, {K) ; because it is peculiar! y the office of the 
Comforter, to deliver the soul from every thing, that is 
liable to distress and torment it. 

Under the economy of the Father, the believer is ire* 

C c quentiy 

1 Joiiti i. 7. T hn xvi. ] 3. (e) 1 John ii. 27. 

](0 Ofigen. Horn. Matt. viiL 25, 28. (?) Tit. :.;, 5, 6. (h) l John jr. 18. 



302 THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 

quently heard to exclaim, O wretched man that I ami who 
shall deliver me from the body of this death (i) f Under that of 
the Son, he gratefully cries out; I thank God, who hath 
effectually wrought this deliverance, through Jesus Christ 
our Lord (k); but under the perfect Gospel, Which is the 
dispensation of the Spirit, all believers are enabled to say, 
with one voice ; We have not received the spirit 'of bondage 
again to fear; but we have received the spirit of adoption, 
whereby we ay , Abba, Fatlier ! The Spirit itself beareth witness 
with our spirit, that we are the children of God, and joint heirs 
with Christ (I). 

St. Paul thus distinguishes the different states of ad- 
vancement, in the christian faith. The heir, as long as he is 
a child, [and such is the case with believers, under the dis- 
pensation of the Father] differeth nothing from a servant, 
though he be Lord of all; but is under tutors and governors, till 
the time appointed of his Father, Even so we were once in a 
state of bondage : but, when the. fulness of the time was come, 
God sent forth his Son to redeem them that were under the Law, 
that we might receive the adoption of Sons. And because ye are 
sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, 
crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore, thou art no more a servant, 
but a son ; and if a son, then an heir of God, through Christ 
(m) ; by whom we have access into this grace, and rejoice in 
hope of the glory of God{r\). 

Our Lord himself evidently pointed out the progressive 
state of the church, when, turning to his disciples, he said ; 
Blessed are the eyes xvhich see the tilings that ye see : for I tell 
you, that many prophets and kings have desired to see those 
things, which ye see, and have not seen them; and to hear those 
things, which ye hear, and have not heard them (o). Neverthe- 
less, when their gracious Master held this language, he was 
at that time neither glorified, nor crucified : and it is well 
known, that the great glory of the Gospel was to follow his 
sufferings arid his triumph. 

The same subject is treated by St. Peter in his first 
epistle, where he speaks of that full salvation, which is to 
be considered, as the end or recompense of faith (p). Of 

which 

(i) Rom. vii. 24. (Jr) Rom. vii. £5. (I) Rom. viii. 15, 17. 
(m) Gal. iv. 1—7. (n) Horn. v. 2. (o) Luke x. 33, *4 ( (p) 1 Pet. i. 9. 



THE PORTRAIT-OP ST. PAUL. SOS 

which salvation, saith be, the Prophets have enquired and search- 
ed diligently, who prophesied of the grace, thai should come unto 
you: searching what, or whai manner of time, the Spirit of 
Christ, which was in them, did signify, when it testified before^ 
hand the sufferings of Christ, and the glory that should follow'. 
Unto whom it was revealed, that, not unto themselves, but unto 
us, they did minister the things which ai^e now reported unto you, 
by them that have preached the Gospel unto you, with the Holy 
Ghost sent down from Heaven ; which things the Angels desire 
to look into (q). Happy are ye f for the Spirit of glory and 
of God resttih upon you (r). Ye me a chosen gemration, a 
peculiar people, that ye should skew forth the praises of him, 
■who hath called you out of darkness into his muriellous 
light (s). 

Without an experimental knowledge of these several 
states, a minister can no rndre lead sinners lo evangelical 
perfection, than an illiterate peasant can communicate suf- 
ficient iiUelligeFice to his rustic companion?., to. pass an ex* 
amination for. the highest degree in a university. 

It may here he necessary to mark out the grand truths, 
by which these dispensations are severally characterized. 

The common language under the dispensation of the 
Father, is as follows : God. hath made of one blood all nations 
of men, and hath appointed the bounds of their habitation ; that 
they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him 
and find him, though he be not few from every om ofus(t). The 
grace of God that bringeth mkatim, hath appeared, indifferent 
degrees, to all men (u) : For the living God is the Savior of all 
men, especially of those that believe (w). God is no respecter of 
penons ; but in eveiy nation, he that feareth him and ivorketh 
righteousness, is accepted with him{x). Without faith, it is 
impossible to please him : for he that cometh unto God, ?nust 
believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently 
seek him (y). Pie hath shewed thee, O man, W'hat is good ; and 
what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love 
mercy, and to walk humbly ivith thy God (z) ? 

Observe the language of the Son"s dispensation. Glory 
to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward 

Cc2 mm. 

(q) 1 Pet. i. 10, 12. (r) 1 Pet. iy. 14. (s) 1 Pet. u. 9. 

(t) Acts xvii. 26, 27. (u) Tit. ii. U. fjp) 1 Tim. iv. 10 

(x) Acts x. 34, 35. (v) Heb. xi. C\ (z^ Mic. \ 



f 

THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

m, / bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall 1st to 
ill people: for unto you is bom this day, in the city of David, a 
Savior, tiMch is Christ the Lord (a). Grace and truth came by 
J 'csus Christ (b), who hath abolished death, and hath brought 
life and immoiiaiiiy to light, through" the Gospel (e). the 
hour comeih, and now is, when the true worshippers shall wor- 
ship the Father in Spirit and in truth (d). Ye believe in God, 
btiuve also in me (e). If the Son shall make you free, ye shall 
he free indeed (f ). This is the work of God, that ye believe on 
him whom he hath sent — No man can come unto me, except the 
lather, which hath sent -me, draiu him: and every man, thai 
hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, comet h unto me (g). 
Fie, that believeih on the Son, hath everlasting life ; and he, 
that'helieveth not the Son, shall not see life; but the v:raih of 
God abideih on him (h). , 

The dispensation of the Spirit is again distinguished by 
the following peculiar language.. This is thai, which was 
spoken by the Prophet Joel: hi the last days, -or under the last 
dispensations of my grace, -satin God, J iv ill pour out of my 
Spirit upon all flesh, upon 2ny servants, and upon my hand-maid- 
ens ; and they shall prophesy. Jesus, being by the right hand 
of God exalted, and having received of .the Father the promise of 
the FJoly Ghost, hath shed forth this plenitude of grace, the 
effects of which ye now see and hear. Repent, therefore, and 
be baptized every one of yon in the name of Jesus Christ, for the 
remission cf sins, and ye shall receive the Holy Ghost, For ike 
pro?mse is unto you and to your children, and to all that are afar 
off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call (i). 

If, at any time, it is to be apprehended, that believers 
are still carnal, and unrenewed by the Spirit of God ; the 
pastor, who is conversant with these different economies of 
grace, enquires vyitji St Paul; Have ye received the ^ Holy 
Gi-ost, since ye believed (k) ? When others, among his flock, 
demonstrate both by their conversation and conduct, that 
they are influenced by the Spirit of Christ, he exhorts them 
in a manner suitable to the glorious dispensation under 
w Inch they live. Ye are washed^ ye are sancttjled, ye arejus- 
tvfid in the tikhe y tfib Lord Jesus, and by the Spird rf our 

God. 

(a)i,ti)ceu. 10, 14, (b)Jolm.i. 17. (c) -* %m' i. 10. 

ftt).Jv/hii r. "23. (e) John xiv. 1. (f) John yiii. $6. 

(?•} John vi. T>, '■-': '■ ■. (h) John iii. 36. (i) Acts ii. \6, 39. 
(k) Act:, xix. % 



THE roiCTRAIT OF ST. PAUL; 303 

God. Your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost : therefore 
gloi'fy God, in your body and in your spirit, which are Gad's 
(J). Grieve not the Holy Spirit of God \ thereby ye are sealed 
unto, the day of redemption (m). Be filled with the Spirit ; speak* 
ing to yourselves in psalms and hymns, and spiritual songs, 
making melody in your hearts unto the Lord (n). Rejoice ever- 
2/iore. Pray iviihout ceasing, hi every thing give thanks (p). 

Tiiis language is too elevated for natural men, who un- 
derstand it no more than illiterate persons comprehend the 
most abstruse parts of science. Hence, it is necessary, thajt 
the faithful minister should acquaint himself with the differ- 
ent conditions and capacities of all his hearers, if he would 
happily accommodate spiritual things to spiritual men. With- 
out this knowledge, he will, under every dispensatiori, run 
the hazard of refusing to advanced christians the solid, npu- 
rjshmeni they need, arid pi presenting to £he natural man 
that celestial manna, which his very soyj abhors. 



.->»*v->.-v 



The different Dispensations fire produced by $ut lozefo Variety, 
uitfh which die Almighty is pleasea] io distribute %£$ Favors. 

J.F the light of the Gospel had been due from Gap to 
every individual sinner ; if he had not been left entirely 
free, in every sense of *he word, to impart k to whom, 
ai what time, and in what degree soever was most pleading 
feobkaseif; his impartial justice would then have engaged 
&m-««|uajiy to illuminate all mankind, and he must have 
xawaed the Sun of righteousness, immediately after *he rail, 
*# feave sboae in its meridian brigfrta^ss. In such case, 
ilhere would heve been but one dispensation of gFace j ami 
tfe« light of the Gospel would net have proceeded to its 
highest glory, by such just gradations, as a Fe -observable in 
a$ tfee productions of natoe. 

But the Afmighty has proceeded hi the work of our 
redemption, according to the dictates of his own unerring 
wisdom, and not upon the plans of our pretended sages. 
The day of the Gospel^ whether it.be considered as en- 

Cc5 lightening 

(I) 1 Cor. vi. 11,20* (m) Epb. iv. 30. (n) — v. 13, 19, 
(o)lTbess.v. 16—18, 



306 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAUL. 

tightening the world in general, or the heart in particular, 
rises, like the natural day, from one degree of brightness to 
another, till all its glories are fully manifested. 

The confusion, which many divines have spread over 
this part of theology, makes it necessary to go into parti- 
culars, that we may place in a just point of view, both the 
gradations and the harmony of those three dispensations, 
which collectively form the glorious Gospel of God. 

If some naturalists were determined to confine their 
observations upon the rainbow, to those lines in it that are 
■r^nifestiy red ; if naturalists of another class were as 
obstinate in contemplating those of an orange hue ; and if 
others were as resolutely bent in singling out those of a 
blue colour 5 they would contradict and dispute with each 
other in as ridiculous a manner, as many ignorant wor- 
shippers of the triune God are observed to do at this day. 
Thus deists dispute for the honor of God the Creator; 
aild, while some christians pay all their homage to God the 
Redeemer, others are as wholly taken up with God the 
Sanctifier. Amid' all the -confusion of these jarring senti- 
ments, the prudent pastor admits, in their proper place, the 
various dispensations of evangelical light ; conducting his 
followers from faith to faith, till he beholds them illuminated 
with all the truths, and experiencing all the power, of the 
christian religion. 

We acknowledge that God is just, though the light of 
the natural sixn approaches us only in a gradual manner, 
producing a constant variety both in our days and seasons. 
We do not accuse the supreme Being of injustice, because 
he is not pleased to bring the fruits of the earth, in an 
instant, to their highest maturity ; or because the same 
species of fruit, which is esteemed for its delicious flavor in 
one climate, is found worthless and insipid in another. 
And if the Sovereign of the world is not expected to ripen 
on a sudden, cither the reason of individuals, or the 
knowledge of nations; it should not be matter of surprize, 
to observe him acting in his usual manner, with respect to 
things of a spiritual nature. His plans are all equally 
wise: but it is impossible for man to form a perfect judg- 
ment of then), unless the creature could stand for a moment 
in the place of the Creator, and take one comprehensive 

view 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 307 

view of earth and 'heaven, time and eternity. If one day 
ivitli the Lord is as a thousand years, when he is pleased, in 
an unexpected manner, to fulfil his grand designs ; and a 
thousand years as one day (p), when he sees good to accom- 
plish his purposes in a more gradual way ; jtvhv should it so 
strangely afflict and amaze us, that he has left the human 
race in a suite of suspense, with regard to his unsearchable 
counsels, for near six hundred years ? The lime is coming 
when he will discover to us that stupendous plan, which, 
in our present circumstance*, we contemplate with every 
disadvantage ; and just as an animalcule, whose life is 
limited to six hours, would contemp ate the plan of an 
immense palace, which a skilful architect had promised to 
complete in as many years. Supposing such an insect 
endued with reason, and coming into existence during the 
night, should blindly crawl among the loose materials of 
which the intended edifice was to be constructed ; what 
opinion could it form either of the architect, or. his plan ? 
Would not this insignificant creature be led to judge of 
these matters, as the pretended philosopher inconsiderately 
judges of that mysterious plan, upon which the Almighty 
is erecting the temple of truth, and creating an incorruptible 
world ? If the Creator thought it necessary to employ six 
days in completing the beauties of the material world ; and 
if the Redeemer judges it expedient^ progressively to 
perfect the more lasting beauties of a spiritual world, 
during six of his more ample days ; how little reason have ^ 
we to despise the comprehensive design : especially, when V 
we consider, that six thousand years are (ar more inconsi- 
derable in comparison with eternity, than six atoms iji 
comparison with this terrestrial globe r 

Now, if such a plan is. not only reasonable, but has 
been evidently adopted by him, who gvetk not account of any 
of his matters (q) ; it is undoubted) true, thai those who have 
lived in different periods of time, have not been permitted 
to enjoy all the various truths which God has successively 
revealed to man. Nevertheless, it is equally certain, that 
every man, in what period of time, and in what peculiar 
circumstances soever he found himseh placed, has received 

sufficient 
(p) 2 Pet. iii, 8. (q) Job xxxiii. 13. 



303 THE PORTRAIT OK ST. PAUL. 

■ sufficient light to discover, as well as sufficient pow er lo 
perform, what God has been pleased to require at his hands. 

The day of evangelical truth is graciously allowed to 
all mankind, that the ma)' 'thereby be assisted to discover, 
to love, and to obey their celestial Parent : and, finally, 
that they mav reach the mark of their, iigh destination, 
which is the 'enjoyment of those different degrees of 
blessedness, which are reserved for the ciflerent classes of 
the faithful. Let us consider the morning or' this sacred 
day. When the first man had extinguished in his heart 
the light of truth and the fire of charitv : when he became 
sufficiently stupid to think of concealing himself from his 
God among the trees of the garden, and sufficiently impi- 
ous to throw the blame of his offence upon his companion 
in transgression, instead of confessing his disobedience 
with all its aggravations : it is evident, thai man was then 
without Christ, i. e. without^ a Savior, without hope, and 
xcithaut God in the ivorld (rj. In that night of error, of 
confusion, and, probably of vespair, the promise of a power- 
ful Redeemer was given to our first parents ; whence 
certain beams of hope were produced, which formed tfcp 
i earnest twilight of the Gospel-day. 

The tradition of this gracious promise, which was made 
to Adam and confirmed to Noah j the natural law, which 
is nothing less than the remains of the Creator's image in 
the human heart; and the secret grace of the Redeemer, 
which is more or less operative in every man; these col- 
lectively formed that evangelical dawn, which was for a 
long time universally experienced in the world ; and which 
may, with propriety, be termed, either geniilism, the re- 
ligion of the first patriarchs, the Gospel of the heathen, or 
the dispensation of the Father In this low dispensation, 
and under these faint glimmeti:,gs of truth, the generality of 
mankind are still unhappily observed to live. And though 
clouds of prejudice, together with vain tFaditioaa, deprive 
pagan nations, in part, of this inestimable light ; vet suffi- 
cient remains among them, tor the direction of those, who 
are seeking after the light of a less obscure dispensation. 

When mankind had become almost universally unfaith- 
ful to the grace of gentilism, and unmindful of the past 

vengeance 
(r) Eph. ii. 12. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 309 

vengeance of God in destroying the world; when they 
had plunged themselves into the most impious excesses, and 
were wholly given up to the grossest idolatry : at that time, 
the Almighty resolved to separate from the corrupted na- 
tions, a single people, who should preserve among them the 
divine worship in iis purity; a people, among whom the 
Messiah should be born, and who should spread around 
them both the expectation and the promise of so wonderful 
a Deliverer. Moses, Aaron, and Joshua, were the repre- 
sentatives of this extraordinary person. Moses, as a Pro- 
phet and Legislator; Aaron, as an High-priest appointed 
of God; and Joshua, as an illustrious conqueror, dividing 
the Kingdoms of Canaan among those, who had followed 
him through the dangers of a tedious warfare. Thus the 
Jews became a preaching people to (he rest of the world, 
preserving in it the light of the Father's dispensation, and 
preparing it for the further dispensation of the Son : inso- 
much, that the expectation of a divine Restorer was spread 
over many parts of the earth, as we learn from two pagan 
historians (s), whose testimony deserves credit. Nay, the 
Sybils, and even Virgil himself took occasion from this 
general expectation of applying to Augustus the predictions 
of a sublime conqueror, who was to issue from the east, 
renewing the face of things. 

Judaism then seems to have been nothing more than the 
dispensation of. the Father, though undoubtedly more lu- 
minous than it had formerly appeared before the calling of 
Abraham. The moral Law, given by Moses, was but a 
new edition of the natural Law, which had been given long 
before ; and the ceremonial Law was added thereto, as a 
further confirmation of the original promise. This was, 
however, a remarkable advance toward the dispensation of 
the Son, and thai of the Holy Ghost ; since the mysteries of 
both were shadowed forth by the interior parts of the tem- 
ple, by sacrifices, by ablutions, by anointings, bv perfumes, 
by burning lamps, and sacred fires. 

The 

' (s) Fercrebruerat Oriercte toto vetus et constats opinio, esse in fatis 
nt Judea profecti return potirejWur. — Sultomus. 

Pluribus pemiavto inerat, antiquis sacerdotum libris contineri eo 
ipso tempore fore, ut valesceret OrienS, profectique Judea reri 
putii cutis r. — Tacitus. 



.'310. THE PORTRAJT OF ST. PAUL. 

The universal creed under this ancient dispensation still, 
forms a. part, of that, which' is received among christians : 
and there is no true worshipper under this economy, but 
who can say, .with sincerity ;, ' I believe in God, the Father 
r Almighty, the Creator and Preserver of heaven and. earth, 

* the avenger of sin, and the re warder of those who faith- 
■ fully serve him : and I trust the time is coming, when 
( some divine instructor will enable me more fully to know 
' and obey this incomprehensible Father of the universe/ 
May such an instructor spon appear, was the united prayer 

'of Socrates and Plato. ' Let him hasten his coming/ says 
the true jew and the pious theist, ' under whatever appella- 
' lion he may choose to appear. Let him be called the 
s seed of the woman, the seed of Abraham, or the Son of 

* David ; let his name be, the Messiah, the Son of God, 

* the Logos, Emmanuel, Joshua, Jesus, Savior ; or only, the 
f Prophet, the Angel of tfre covenant, or the Messenger of 
& God; it is of little consequence : if he brings but life and 
\ immortality to light, I will receive him with gratitude and 
'joy/ Such is the faith, by which those Jews, Mahom- 
etans, and Pagans, whose hearts are principled vviih humi- 
lity, candor, and the fear of God, have been, and still con- 
tinue to be saved, in every part of the world. For the 
Father of mercies, who knoweth whereof we were made, 
will no more absolutely condemn such worshippers, on 
account of the extraordinary respect they have discovered for 
Moses, Mahomet, and Confucius, than he will finally reject 
some pious christians, for the sake of that excessive vener- 
ation, which they manifest for particular saints and reform- 
ers ; nor will he punish either, because their guides have 
mingled prejudice With truth, and legendary Fables with 
the doctrines of theology. 

As a prudent physician proportions his medicines to the 
different ages and habits of his patients j so the enlightened 
pastor, who ieels himself concerned for the spiritual health 
of his flock, ^ees it necessary to act with equal care and 
discretion. He preaches the dispensation of the Son to 
those, who, like Socrates and Plato, are longing for a divine 
instructor, as well as to those, who, Hke Simeon, Nicode- 
mu?, and Cornelius, are waiting for the consolation of 
Israel. He leads them, either from the Law of Moses, or 

from 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 311 

from the Law of nature, to the Gospel of Christ; explain- 
ing, with precision, those parts of the new Testament, 
which exhibit the commencement of the Son's dispensation, 
together with all he taught, performed and suffered, while 
he continued upon earth. 

Lastlv, to such as have devoutly embraced this part of 
the Gospel, he publishes the glorious economy of the Holy 
Spirit, which was not fully opened till after the bodily ap- 
pearance of the Redeemer was withdrawn from the world. 
Then it was, that he descended in the fulness of the Spirit, 
directing and supporting his disciples, animating and 
sanctifying his members, and manifesting that Kingdom of 
God, that dispensation of righteousness, peace, and joy, 
which is so largely treated of in the acts and epistles ot the 
Apostles. 

These three dispensations have one common end. 
They mutually tend to manifest the different perfections of 
the Supreme Being, to raise man from- his present low 
estate, and to perfect his nature. This three- ibid design 
is apparent under the dispensation of the Father ; it 
unfolds itself m@re clearly under that of the Son ; and 
shines out, with increasing lustre, under that of the Holy 
Spirit. As it is one and the same Sun, that animates every 
thing in the natural world ; so it is one and the same Gov, 
that operates every thing in the kingdom of grace. He, 
whom we address as our Heavenly Father, in that 
sacred form of prayer which is common among christians, 
is the very God, in whose name the ancient Patriarchs were 
accustomed to bless their children. The word, through 
which we address him, is no other than that tigjkt of the 
world, by which the antediluvian fathers were illuminated 
in their several generations ; and the Holy Ghost, by which 
the souls of the faithful are divinely regenerated, is the 
same Spirit that primarily moved upon the face of the 
waters (t) ; of which also it was said, in the days of Noah, 
My Spirit shall not always strive with man (u). 

There never was a time, in which the Son and the 
Spirit were not occupied in completing the salvation of 
believers. But there was a time, when the Son becartre 

manifest 
(t) Gen. i, 2. (u) Gee. vi. 3. 



312 THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL.. 

manifest upon the earth, making a visible display of hi* 
astonishing labors : and then it was, that his particular dis- 
pensation had its commencement. So likewise there was a 
time, when the Holy Ghost, more abundantly shed forth by 
the Father and the Son, began to work his mysterious opera- 
tions in a more sensible manner : and at that time commenced 
the particular dispensation of the Spirit, which serves to 
perfect the dispensation of the Son, as that of the Son was 
given to perfect the dispensation of the Father. 

These distinctions are founded upon reason, upon 
revelation, and upon the Apostles' creeri. 

1. Reason suggests, that mankind must for ever remain 
under the- sovereignty of their omnipotent Creator, and 
accountable to him for the use they make of his innumer- 
able favors. Reason further discovers, that, if man has 
admitted the darkness or error into his understanding, and 
the fatal influence of sin into his will, he cannot pos-sibiv 
recover his pristine state, except by the manifestation of a 
new light, and the exertions of a stronger influence. But 
who shall produce the former, except that Savior, who is 
the light of the world (vv) ? Or, who shall supply the latter, 
except that energetic Spirit, which helpeih our infirmities (x) ? 

2, These distinctions are founded upon revelation. 
The volume of truth informs us, that the Creator foretold 
the coming of a Redeemer, and that the Redeemer, during 
his outward manifestation, proclaimed the near approach of 
another Comforter ' (y). It is undoubtedly true, that some 
earnests of redeeming grace, together with the first fruits 
of the Spirit, were experienced even by the most ancient 
inhabitants of the earth. It is true also, that ^ by means of 
those earnests and first fruits, many myriads of mankind 
have. been saved in every age of the world. But it is no 
less true, that the plenitude of these sacred gifts was re- 
served to a very distant -period of time ; since, after the 
first promise of a Redeemer was given, near four thousand 
years elapsed before he made his puhl-ic appearance : and- 
while he continued upon earth, a is expressly said, that 
the Holy Ghost was not yet given, in its full measure ; because 
that Jesus xuas not. yet glortfed (z). 

3. Christians 

<• (w) J'ohn vi;i.'12.. (x) fyom, vii>'. 26. • (y) Jd;« xiv. 16, ]7. 
(2) John viii, .0. 



T.fLE PORTiRAIT OF ST. PAUL. S1& 

3. (IMniitiiffr are taught to distinguish these different 
degrees jrf evangelical grace, and to rejoice in all the 
advantages of these three dispensations when Uiey are 
solemnly baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and 
the Hoi)- -Ghost. And this they publicly profess to do, so 
often as they repeat the three principal articles of the 
Apostles' creed. Happy would it be, if through the 
demonstration of that Holy Spirit, in which they affect 
to believe, they were enabled experimentally to confess 
their Almighty Father and his redeeming Son. 
Everyone of them might then thankfully add, I experience 
the communion of saints, and the forgiveness of sins : I joyfully 
and confidently expect the resurrection of the body, and life 
everia sting. 

It is presumed, that no doctrines can come mort£ 
strongly recommended to the consideration of professing 
christians, than those which are undeniably founded upon 
reason and revelation, upon that outward form of baptism,, 
and that primitive creed, which are universally received in 
the christian world. 

The attentive reader will easily perceive, that the 
difference between, these several dispensations, is formed^ 
by those different degrees in which the Redeemer is 
manifested. Under gentiiism and Judaism, or under the 
general and particular dispensations of the Father, the 
Redeemer is both announced and expected : he is an- 
nounced by the Father's original promise, by tradition, by 
types, by prophecies ; and he is expected as a Savior, 
who shall, sooner or later, make his appearance. IJnder 
the baptism of John, and under that imperfect Christianity 
w4uch is received by a baptism -of water, the Redeemer is 
apprehended, in some measure, by sense ; or by a faith 
which merely respects thebistory of the Gospel : but he is 
only apprehended, as a Savior manifested in the flesh, to 
accomplish ike external act of redemption. It is other- 
wise, under that perfect christiaBity, to which we are intro- 
duced by 4he .mysterious baptism of the Spirit, in which the 
Redeemer is mwtfested after a manner abundantly more 
glorious. He is now received as comiijg in the Spirit 
after having died for our sins, and risen again for our justify 
cation. Now he performs the spiritual work of redemption 

D d in 



'334' THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUt. 

in the soul, delivering his people from the power of sm by 
communicating to them the special efficacy of his death, 
his resurrection, and his triumph. Henceforth, he is a 
Comforter, not only ivith, but in us; where he spiritually 
exercises his acknowledged offices, instructing, purifying, 
and, finally, subduing all things to himself 



*v%vyiv 



The different Preachers under these different Dispensations* 



p 



ERSUADED that confusion is the source of a thousand 
errors, the prudent minister endeavours to place the truths 
of the Gospel in their proper order : and reflecting upon 
those preachers, who have formerly proclaimed them, he is 
enabled to produce something upon their separate testi- 
monies, which may serve to edify the different classes of 
his hearers. Thus, St. Paul, when preaching to the 
Athenians, judged it convenient to cite one of their own 
poets, rather than Moses : and thus, in addressing those 
teachers, who leave the Gospel in order to set up a vain 
philosophy, the true minister may find it necessary to pro. 
duce the description, which Epictetus has given of a real 
philosopher. 

Every dispensation has had its peculiar preachers ; and 
the pastor, who is led into all truth, is anxious to second 
these preachers by publishing, in their proper place, those 
sacred truths, which they have respectively delivered, 
according to their different proportions of grace. 

The preachers under the dispensation of the Father, are 

1, The ivdrks of creation. The heavens, saith David, 
declare the glory of God, and the firmament sheweth his handy 
work' (a). That which may be known of God, adds St. Paul, 
'is manifest, even among the heathen. For the invisible things 
of him, from the creation of the ivorld, are clearly seen, being 
understood by the things that are made, -even his eternal power 
and Godhead ; so that they are without excuse : because that 
zvhen they knew God, they glorified him not as God (b). 

2. Providence. The living God, saith the Apostle, ivho> 

in 
(a) Psalm xix. 1. (b) Rom. i. 19, 21. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

icspasl, suffered all nations to- walk inikrir&i&iwa 

left himself not without u in that he t&& $t : " 7 , cind g 

us warn from Heaven, and fruitful seasons, filing our hearts 

with food and -gladness (c). 

3. Those dreadful scourges, with which tin averu 
God is constrained to correct a rebellious world. Such as 
famine, pestilence, war, <k c. 

4. Reason: which is a ray from that divine word, that 
eternal logos, that true light, which lighteneth every man that 

: the world, 

5. Co/ucience. For the gentiles, sailh St. Paul, which hu: 
not the law written by Prophets and Apostles, aie a lap : 

.selves: their conscience bearing icitness, and their thoughts 
accusing or els^ / : :-. (mother (a). 

6. Enoch, Noah, and all the holy patriarchs who lived 
before the flood. 

7. All these pious persons, who have inculcr 

fear of Gcd, and published the traditionary pro; hieh 

was given to our first parents. 

8. The prophets and priests among the jews, together 
with the sacred poets and true philosophers among the 
ancient heathens. 

9. Those priests, who, among jews, rnarometans, and 
modern pagans, recommend, with sincerity, holiness and the 
fear of God. 

And lastly, all those preachers of Christendom, who, 
blind to the dispensations of the Son and the Spirit, fall back 
into gentilism, delivering only such moral essays, as have 
been abundantly exceeded by philosophers of old. 

As this dispensation has ever had, and still continues to 
have, its celebiated preachers ; so it has frequently had, and 
may yet continue to have, its confessors and martyrs. If it 
was possible to come at the history of all those, who have 
been eminently distinguished by their piety under this 
economy, and who have nobly suffered in the cause of god- 
liness, we might probably discover many an Abel, and 
many a Zacharias, many an Aristides, and many a Socrates, 
in every nation under Heaven. In company with these 

D d 2 amiable 

(c) Acts xi\. 15. 17. (d) Horn, ii. U, 15. 



316 THr PORTRAIT OF ST. FAtfX. 

amiable and honorable characters, the evangelical pastor is 
constant!)' observed, so far as they proceed in the high-way 
of truth: but he advances far beyond them, when he would 
associate with the preachers of the Son's dispensation. 

The heralds of truth, under this dispensation, are 

ft. The priest Zacharias, who announced the accom- 
plishment of the promise which was made to the patriarchs 

K The Angel, who first brought down the tidings of the 
Messiah's birth, in company with a multitude of the heavenly 
host, who attended him upon that extraordinary occasion. 

3. Those Jewish priests, who directed the magi from 
Jerusalem to the city in which Christ was born. 

4. Those celestial voices, which declared, upon mount 
Tabor, and on the banks of Jordan, that Jesus Christ was 
the beloved Son of the Father. 

5. John the baptist, who proclaimed Christ come in the 
flesb> and endeavoured to prepare the penitent for the dis- 
pensation of the Spirit. 

6*. Those seventy disciples, who were certimissiofied by 
our Lord to preach the Gospel. 

And, lastly, all these teachers of the present day, who, 
Tike Apoflos in the beginning of his ministry, perceive no- 
thing beyond that inferior dispensation, of which an outward 
baptism is considered as the seal. 

Under the dispensation of the Spirit, the preachers, are 

1. The Apostles, who entered upon their excellent 
ministry, after being first miraculously endued with power 
from on high. 

2. All those ministers of the Gospel, who, after receiv. 
inj into their own hearts the spirit of adoption (f), proclaim 
the coming of that Spirit to those', who have already experi- 
enced repentance toward God, and faith tonard our Lord Jesus 
Christ (g). Such ministers alone may be said to proclaim 
the spiritual Kingdom of God : and these alone can ex- 
perimentally direct believers to the absolute fulfilment of 
every Gospel promise. The teachers of this day, instead of 

proclaiming 
(e) Luke i. (#j) Rom. viii. 15. (g) Acts. xx. 21.. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 317 

proclaiming the grand promise of Christianity, unhappily 
renounce that promise : imagining, that it merely respected 
the first followers of Jesus ; or, at most, that it was confined 
to the earliest ages of the christian church. Far from pub- 
lishing the Gospel in its abundant plenitude, these unskilful 
evangelists are not able to preach all that imperfect Gospel, 
which in scripture language is called, the baptism of John (h). 
John publicly announced the baptism of the Holy Ghost: 
and far from despising such baptism himself, he openly de- 
clared, that he had need to be baptized of Christ (i.) Never- 
iheless, John was put to death before the promise of the 
Father was fully accomplished : and on this account our 
Lord declared, that the least in the Kingdom of Hecrjen, i. e. 
the lowest under the dispensation of the Spirit, should be 
accounted greater than he(k). Yea, even the soldiers of 
Cornelius, after the Spirit had descended upon them, were 
assisted to publish the mysteries of that kingdom with 
greater clearness, and with a more lively conviction than 
the forerunner of Jesus had ever done. 

That prophet doubted before his death, as well as all the 
Apostles before the clay of Pentecost. But, under the dis- 
pensation of the Holy Spirit, the great truths of the Gospel 
are demonstrated by the power of an internal evidence,, 
which leaves in the heart no more room for doubt, than a 
mathematical demonstration leaves room for hesitation in the 
mind. Further — -John the Baptist barely intimated the 
necessity of a spiritual baptism ; but the most illiterate among 
the centurion's servants could say : Christ hath baptized me 
wkn the Holy Ghost and with fire ; and the promise, 
which he hath already fulfilled to me, who am a poor gen- 
tile, he will as gloriously accomplish in favor of others, since* 
the promise is given to all that are afar qff\ even as many as the 
Lord our God shall call (I). Thus, under this subline 

dispensation, every faithful servant of the Lord is enabled to 
prophecy out of the fulness of his heart, and to speak t 
wondciful works of God. Thus also, every zeal 
minister, resolutely persevering in the pursuit of evangelical 
truth, become-, at length, of the same society witfi 5 those, 
who were the first and most effectual preachers of the ever- 
lasting Gospel. 

D d 3 The 

W'AcU , fl) Matt, iii, J4. (Ik) MjtfUK. 11 $JL39 



31 S THE PORTRAIT Q¥ ST. PAUL, 



The Dispensation of the Holy Spirit is now in Force, and the 
Minister toho preaches this Dispensation, carmot justly be 
esteemed an Enthusiast. 

JL O reject the Son of God manifested in the Spirit, as 
worldly christians afe universally observed to do, is a crime 
of equal magnitude with that of the jews, who rejected 
Christ manifested in the flesh. Nevertheless, in vain has 
the Apostle Paul informed us, that Jesus Christ is a priest for 
ever, after the order of Melchisedec (m) ; the same yesterday, to- 
day, and for ever (n). In vain has John the Baptist de- 
clared, that He shall baptize us toith the Holy Ghost and vuilh 
fire (o). In vain has Christ himself made a gracious offer of 
this baptism to all nations (p). In spite of all these declara- 
tions, our incredulity still seeks out some plausible reason for 
rejecting the dispensation of the Spirit. 

So long as those perilous times shall continue, which 
were foretold by SU Paul (q) ; so long we may expect to 
behold multitudes of erring professors, who, like the ancient 
phaf isees, not only refuse to enter into the Kingdom of God 
themselves, but resolutely withstand all those who are striving 
to enter in. These faithless christians, resembling the timor- 
ous spies of old, are constantly prepared to discourage every 
persevering Israelite, by raising evil reports of their pro- 
mised rest. Attached to this present degenerate world, as 
the wife of Lot was attached to her polluted city, they are 
ever insinuating, that there is little danger to be apprehend, 
ed in their present situation*: and as for that full dispensation 
of the Spirit, concerning which so many excellent things are 
spoken, they confidently assert, that it cannot be expected 
in the present time, without giving way to the highest pre- 
sumption and folly. On these accounts, it becomes abso- 
lutely necessary, that the true minister should stand prepared 
to give every man a solid ansiver j that asketh a reason of the 
hope that is in him (r). 

That the extraordinary gifts of the Holy Spirit were 
peculiarly necessary to the Apostles, and that they were ac- 
tually put in possession of such gifts, we readily allow. But, 

at 
(m) Hcb. vii. 1 7. (n) Heb. xiii.' 8. (o) Matt. iii. 1 1 , 

(p) Matt, xxviii. 19. (cj) 2 Tim. iii. 1, (v) 1 Pet. iii. 15. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 319 

at the same lime, we consider these gifts as entirely distinct 
from the Spirit itself. When the Spirit of grace takes the 
full possession of a- particular person, he may, if the edifica- 
tion of the church requires it, bestow upon that person some 
extraordinary gift, in an instantaneous manner: as the 
prince, who honors any subject with an important commis- 
sion, invests him with sufficient power for the" execution of 
such commission. But the presents of a prince do not al- 
ways demonstrate his actual presence ; since it is very 
possible for a prince to lodge with one of his subjects, upon 
whom he has conferred no inestimable favor, while he makes 
a magnificent present to another, whom he has never con- 
descended to visit in person. Thus, the Holy Spirit de- 
scended upon Mary the mother of Jesus, together with 
several other holy women, as well as upon the Apostles, with 
whom they continued in earnest supplication and prayer : 
nevertheless, it does not appear, that any one of them re-\ 
ceived even the gift of tongues. On the other hand, we are 
well assured, that many persons, who never received the 
Spirit of holiness, were yet outwardly distinguished by 
several extraordinary gifts of the Holy Ghost. The first 
king of Israel gave rise to thai; memorable proverb, Is Saul 
also among tlw prophets (s) ? Jonah, though Repossessed neU 
ther the faidi, nor the charity, which are common to many 
christians of this age, was yet commissioned to visit Ni- 
neveh with an extraordinary message from Heaven. And 
we are informed, that Judas was endued with the power of 
pexibrming miracles, as Balaam had been before honored 
with the gift of prophecy. Bui, notwithstanding these ex* 
ternal appearances, we may rest assured, that neither Saul, 
nor Balaam, nor Judas, had M\y experienced that happy 
state, which the meanest among the primitive christians was 
permitted to enjoy. When, therefore, we assert, that every 
sincere believer becomes a temple qf the Holy Ghost (t) : it is 
to be understood, by such expression, that thej have re- 
ceived the power of working miracles ; since, in this sense, 
St. Paul himself was not always replenished with the Spirit. 
But it should rather be understood, that the same Spirit of 
humility, of zeal, of faith, and of charity, which so eminently 
dwelt in Christ, continually flows from him to the meanest 
of his spiritual members, as the sap is known to pass from the 
trunk of a vine into the least of its branches (u). 

The 
(s) 1 Sam, x. 1 % (t) 1 Cor. vi. 19. (u) John xv. 5. 



320 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

The old and new Testament sufficiently prove, that the 
special influences of the Spirit are to be universally expe- 
rienced by the faithful in every age. Isaiah promises this 
invaluable blessing to those, who are at hirst for God (w). 
Ezekiel announces the same blessing, in a variety of pas- 
sages, to all those, v\ho enjoy the privileges of the new 
covenant. The prophet Joel more directly promises the 
extraordinary effusion of the Holy Spirit, to the young and the 
old among the people of Go d, to their sons and their daughters, 
their servants and their handmaids (x). John the Baptist ex- 
pressly repeats the same promise, to all those, who partake of 
his inferior baptism (y). Our Lord invites ev^ry believer 
freely to come and receive the long expected blessing (z). 
St. Peter unreservedly offers it to the truly penitent (a) ; and 
St. Paul every where declares, that it is the common pnvi* 
lege of christians to be filled with the Spirit (b). Nay, he 
even intimates, that the name of christian should be refused 
to those, who have not received the promise of the Father 
(c). These few passages abundantly testify, how -strangely 
those professors deceive themselves, who confidently affirm 
that the Holy Spirit was promised to the Apostles alone. 

Revelation is no sooner admitted, but reason itself con- 
firms the very truth for which we contend/ Why was the 
Holy Spirit to be poured out in its full measure upon the first 
followers of Christ ? If in brder to their sanctifi cation ; have 
we less need of holiness than the Apostles had ? If it was to 
shed abroad in their hearts the love of God ; is' that love 
less necessary for us than for them ? If to make intercession 
for them with groanings which cannot be uttered; were the 
Apostles supposed to stand in greater need of such interces- 
sion than all other men ? Lastly 3 if the Holy Ghost was 
given, that believers might be enabled to cry out '— Who 
shall separate us from the love of Christ ? Shall tribulation, 
persecution, or death ? O death, vchere is thy aing ? grave, 
where is thy victoiy ? Thanks he to God, who gt : the 

^victory, through our Lord Jesus Christ — if so ; then it would 
seem, that the Apostles alone were called to suffer and die 
in a manner so perfectly worthy of christians. 

The more we meditate upon the scriptures of truth, the 
more we shall be convinced, that the experience of real 

christians 

(w) Isa. xliv. 3. (x) Joel ii. 28, 29. (y) Luke Hi. 16, (2) John vii. 57, 59, 
(a) Acts ii. 38. (b) Eph, v. 18. 1 Cor. vi. 19. (c) Rom. viii, 9, 



THE PORTRAIT €>F ST* PAUL. 321 

christians and the reason of natural men coincide with that 
sacred volume, in demon strating,, that the grand promise of 
a Comforter must respect every sincere believer, as well as 
the first disciples of Jesus. To reject, then, this precious 
gift, is to trample under foot the pearl of great price, and to 
despise the Redeemer himself in that spiritual appearance, 
which is of f#r greater importance to us than his outward 
manifestation in Judea. Further ; to insinuate among 
christians, that the promise of Christ's spiritual coming is no 
longer in force, is to enervate the glorious Gosper of God, 
and to maintain in his church that detestable lukewarmness, 
which will ultimately prove the ground of its condemnation. 
It is to surpass the jews in their obstinate rejection of our 
only Lord and Savior. There was no need, says the incredu- 
lous jew, that the Messiah should suffer and die for our sins : 
nor is there any need, says the carnal christian, that the 
Savior should come in a spiritual manner to reign in my 
heart. The one destroys the body, the other the soul, of 
Christianity : and both are equal strangers to the renovating 
power of the Gospel. 

The true minister, struck with the magnitude of this sin, 
too general in the present day, incessantly labors for the 
restoration of those, who are deeply plunged in so destruc« 
tive an error. 



The evangelical Pastor defends the Dispensation of the Spirit 
against all Opposers. 



w 



HATEVER dispensation of grace the true minister 
announces, he is constrained, with St. Paid, to brandish his 
spiritual weapons on the right hand, and on the left. If he 
publishes the dispensation of the Father, he finds it neces- 
sary (o defend its important truths against the daringly pro- 
phane, on the one hand, and on the other, against the 
vainly superstitious. When he preaches the dispensation 
of the Son, he has still greater occasion to arm himself on 
every part, in defence of the doctrine he maintains. On 
the left hand, he is attacked either by deists, who wholly 
disclaim all ideas of a Savior; or by socinians, who despoil 

that 



S22 THE PORTRAIT OK ST. PAUL. 

that Savior of his greatest glory: and on the right, he is 
assailed by ill-instructed christians, who, under pretence of 
exalting the Son, look down with contempt upon the dis- 
pensation of the Father; not considering, that, by this 
error, they oppose one principal design of Christ's appear* 
ing, which was, that we might worship the Father in Spirit 
and in truth. But it is chiefly wjth respect to the third dis- 
pensation, that the chrisfian preacher is constrained to 
wield, without ceasing, that sivord of the Spirit , and that 
shield ''of faith (a), with v\ Inch St. Paul was so anxious to 
see every christian armed. As this doctrine is abund- 

antly more elevated than the preceding dispensations; so 
it stands more exposed to the shafts of innumerable ene- 
mies. On the left, it is incessantly attacked by carnal 
professors; and on the right, by fanatical zealots. These 
two classes of adversaries, though continually at war with 
each odier, unhappily agree in opposing, either directly or 
indirectly, the progress of this glorious, dispensation, oblig- 
ing the faithful minister with equal intrepiaity to combat 
both. ' . • • - ■■ 

Observe the grand argument, with which carnal chris- 
tians carry on this opposition. • The Comforter/ say they, 
< which was graciously promised to our Lord's first dis- 
ciples, was undoubtedly received by those highly-favored 
missionaries, and conducted them into all the truths of the 
Gospel. From this divine Spirit they received continual 
assistance in spreading that Gospel, and by him they were 
endued with those miraculous gifts, which served as so 
many incontestible marks of their sacred mission. But, as 
Christianity is at this time firmly established in the world, 
the letter of the Holy Scriptures is now abundantly suffici- 
ent for every purpose ; and there is no longer occasion for 
that baptism and illumination of the Spirit, which were evi- 
dently necessary to the primitive christians/ 

As the mistaken jews, perfectly satisfied with the law 
of Moses inscribed upon tables of stone, rejected, with ob- 
stinacy, the promised Messiah; so these carnal christians, 
contented with the letter of the new Testament, perversely 
reject the Holy Spirit of promise (b). Search the scriptures, 
for they testify of rue (c), was our Lord's exhortation to those 

deluded 
(a) Eph. vi. 1^, 17. (b) Eph. i. 13, (c) John v, 39, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST PAUL, 325 

deluded formalists : and the'true minuter continues to press 
the same exhortation upon those, who blindly oppose the 
coining of Christ's spiritual Kinga.m. He is anxious, 
with his heavenly Master, to put the matter upon this issue; 
fully con fide nt, that they who peruse those sacred pages 
with an unprejudiced mind, must readily observe, that, 
instead rf superseding the necessity of a spiritual baptism, 
they give ampLe testimony, that such baptism is to be con- 
sidered as a privilege freely offered to the whole multitude 
of bcuevers. 

When enristians affirm that the manifestation of the 
Spirit is no longer to be sought after, except in thai myste- 
rious volume, which promises this manifestation to the 

church ; modern jews might as well declare, that they look 
for no Other maniiestution of their Messiah, than that which 
is to be found in those books ot Moses and the Prophets, 
where the coming ot that Messiah is repeatedly promised, 
Bui it it be said, the Spirit of Christ was fully given to his 
first disciples, and that is sufficient for us : this argument 
has in it as great absurdity as the roll -wing method of rea- 
soning. Moses instructs u^ that God created toe Sun,, and 
that .toe patriarchs were happily enlightened by it; but the 
supreme illumination oi that Sun is no longer to be disco- 
vered, except in the writings or' Moses: and those labor- 
ers are downright enthusiasts, who imagine they need 
any other rays from that luminary, except such as are re- 
flected upon them from the book of Genesis. The scrip- 
ture informs us, that God commanded the earth to produce 
a variety of truit and plants for the nourishment of its in- 
habitants; covenanting, on his part, to send refreshing 
rains and convenient seasons. But, we do not live, ex- 
claims a rational farmer, in the season of miracles ; nor am 
I enthusiastic enough to expect, that rain shall be sent upon 
the earth. Mention indeed is made, in ancient history, of 
the former and the latter rain; and the bocks which speak 
of these fructifying showers, and promise a continuance of 
them to the latest posterity, are undoubtedly authentic ; ne- 
vertheless, all the rain we can now reasonably expect, must 
flow from these books alone, and from those speculations, 
which our reason can make upon the truths they contain. 

Wno will not smile at such a method of reasoning 
a5 this ? 

In 



$24 T-HE-FORTRfll-iaTfOF *T. fAVfe, 

In these things which respect our temporal interests., 
we are not stupid enough to he deluded by such wretched 
sophisms ; though we ^frequently deceive both ourselves 
and Others, with regard to spiritual things, hy arguments 
no less pal pably absurd. G od, says 4fee orthod&K professor, 
undoubtedly caused the Sun of' righteousness so effectually 
te -shine upon believers, on the -day of Pentecost, that they 
were instantaneously baptized with the Holy 'Gimut m&V&m 
fire. A celestial shower, atukat ikme,, refreshed the church ; 
and the mystic vine matured on a sudden, by the direct 
rays of so glorious a luminary,, was assisted to produce, in- 
ternally, all the graces, and externally, all the fmits, of the 
Spirit. But some extraordinary phenomena, which accom- 
panied the dazzling Sun and those gracious showers, have 
long ago disappeared. Nay, that Sun itself is totally 
eclipsed, with respect to us; and the book, which bears 
testimony to the constant influence of that Sun, and the 
endless duration of those showers, now absolutely stands in 
the place of both. Ridiculous divinity ! And shall 

they be called enthusiasts, who oppose such absurdities as 
these ? Then fanaticism may be said to consist in making a 
rational distinction, between the pearl of great price, and 
the testament that bequeaths it; between that sacred vo- 
lume, in which the comforter is merely promised, and 
the actual presence of that comforter in the heart. To 
pretend, that we have no longer any need of the Spirit of 
Christ, because we are in possession of an incomparable 
book, which declares, that if any man have not the Spirit of 
Christ, he is none of his (d) ; is not this to destroy, at once, 
both the letter and spirit of the Gospel ? And when we 
see those christians, who profess the utmost respect for re- 
velation, deriding, without fear, the manifestation of that 
Spirit, by which alone the love of God can 'be .shed abroad 
in our hearts (e) : what judgnrent can we form of such 
persons, but that thev are disposed to treat the Gospel of 
our glorified Master, as Judas once treated its persecuted 
author ? — whatever air of devotion they may assume, while 
they salute the exterior of it, their secret intention is 4o be- 
trav the very life of the Gospel to derision and infamy. 
By'arguments of this nature it is, that christian ministers 

are 

(d) Horn, viii. '9. (t) Horn, v. 5. 



THST PORTRAIT OF ST, f AUL. 32£ 

are frequently obliged to defend the dispensation of the 
Spirit, from the outrageous attacks of carnally-minded 
christians. 

Bat there are times in which the faithful pastor finds 
it equally necessary to defend this pari of his doctrine 
against high and fanatical professors. In every christian 
country, there are not wanting such as have rendered the 
dispensation of the Spirit contemptible, by their ridiculous 
and impious pretensions. Protestants have blushed for the 
prophets of Cevennes, and Catholics for the convulsion- 
aries of Paris. In order successfully io oppose the progress 
of enthusiasm, he publicly contrasts the two different charac- 
ters or' a presumptuous fanatic and an enlightened christian, 
in some such terms as follow. The one extinguishes 

the torch of reason, that he may have an opportunity to 
display, in its -room, the vain flashes of Ins own pretended 
inspirations; the other entertains a just respect for reason* 
following it, as the surest guide, so far as it is able to di- 
rect nim m the search of truth ; and whenever he implores 
a superior light, it is merely to supply the defects of reason. 
The one destroys the clear sense of Scripture language* that 
a way may be made for his own particular manifestations : 
the oilter refers every thing to the Law, and to the Testimony ; 
fully satisfied, that if high pretenders to sanctity speak not 
according to this word, it is because there is no light in them (fj a 
The former flatters himself, that, while the means 
are neglected, the end may be obtained ; presuming that 
God will illuminate him in a miraculous manner, without 
the help of prayer, study, meditation, sermons, or sacra- 
ments: the latter unpresumingly expects the succours of 
grace, in a constant use of the appointed means : and con- 
scious, that the Holy Scriptures are able to make him wise unto 
salvation (g), he takes them ror the subject of his frequent 
meditation, the ground of his prayers, and the grand rule of 
his conduct. The fanatic imagines himself independent 

of superior powers both in church and state: the real chris- 
tian, a constant friend to trutn and order, looking upon him- 
self as the servant of all, not only acknowledges the re- 
spect due to his superiors, but is ready to give them an ac- 
count either of his faith or his conduct, with meekness and 

E e submission 

(f) Isaiah liS. 20. (%) 2 Tim. iii, 15, 



326 THE PORTRAIT F ST. PAUL. 

submission ; anxious to have his principles supported by 
appeals to the reason and conscience of his adversaries, as 
well as by the testimony of revelation. The fanatic* pays 
but little regard to the inestimable grace of chanty : like 
Simon the sorcerer, lie aspires after the extraordinary gifts 
of the Spirit, and seduced by a vain imagination, forsakes 
the substance that he may pursue the shadow : — The true 
christian, without despising the most inconsiderable spi- 
ritual gifts, implores only those, which may assist him in 
the discharge of his several duties; and peculiarly that 
charity, which is to be ranked as high above the per- 
formance of miracles, as miracles are to be esteemed above 
the tricks of jugglers. The fanatic conceives himself to be 
animated by the Spirit of God, when his body is agitated 
by a rapid motion of the animal spirits, excited by the sal- 
Ties of an over-heated imagination, and augmented by hys- 
terical or hypochondriacal vapors: — The judicious chris- 
tian detests this enthusiasm, which, covering religion with 
a vail of delusion and frenzy, renders it contemptible in the 
eyes of those, who are ever ready to treat devotion as 
fanaticism. 

When the true minister unhappily falls among persons, 
ivho evidence a disposition to enthusiasm, carrying mortifi- 
cation to an "unwarrantable excess, publicly uttering long 
and passionate prayers, produced with the most violent 
efforts; he calls their attention to that beautiful passage in 
the history of Elijah, where God is represented as mani- 
festing himself, neither in the wind, the earthquake, nor the 
fire ; but in a still small voice. To inspire them with a 
just horror for this kind of fanaticism, he points them to 
those contemptible characters, whose conduct they are 
unwittingly copying ; and exhorts them to leave the horri- 
ble custom of crying with a loud voice, together with every 
other species of religious extravagance, to the superstitious 
priests of Baal. If it be necessary,.- he even applies those 
sarcastic expressions of Elijah, Cry aloud, &c. In per- 

forming this part of his duty, he is anxious, however, to act 
with the utmost discretion ; not ridiculing the fanatical with 
an irreverent lightness, but exhorting them with all possible 
aifection and solemnity. It appears from the writings of St. 
Paul, that enthusiasm had once risen to so great a height in 

the 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 527 

the Corinthian church, that the communion was polluted by 
the members of that church, and its public ordinances 
thrown into the utmost disorder. Now., if the Apostle had 
himself been an enthusiast, he would have &een these dis- 
orders without regret ; or had lie been like the lukewarm 
ministers of the present day, he would have rejoiced at the 
pretext afforded him by the fanatical Corinthians, for turn- 
ing into ridicule demotion and zeal, the power of prayer and 
the gft of exhortation. But, equally attached both to order 
and zeal, he wrote to them in the following terms : 1 '■ would, 
th'it ye all spake with tongues ; but rather iiiai ye prophesied : 
for he that prophesieth ediiisth the church. Forasmuch „ then, 
as ye are zealous of spiritual gifts, seek that ye may excel to the 
edifying of the church. Brethren, be not children in under- 
standing, but men. Ye may all prophesy, that all may learn, 
and all may be comforted. And observe this, that the spirits 
of the Prophets are sulyect to the Prophets : for God is not the 
author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints. 
If any man think himself to be a Prophet, or spiritual, let him 
acknowledge that the things I write unto you are the command- 
ments of the Lord. Let all things be done decently and in order 
(h). It is by adopting the method of this Apostle, that the 
good pastor endeavours to root up the tares of enthusiasm, 
without injuring the invaluable grain of devotion. 

Here it may, perhaps, be enquired, If particular mani- 
festations of the Spirit are admitted, how is it possible to 
shut the door against dangerous illusions r Would it not be 
wiser entirely to reject the dispensation of the Spirit, while 
it is confessedly attended with so many difficulties ? And 
would it not make for the happiness of the church, was 
every member of it to rest contented with having the holy 
scriptures explained, according to the best rules of reason 
and criticism ? We answer ; By no jneans. Bad money, 
indeed, is frequently put into our hands; but is it necessary, 
on this account, to obstruct the free course of that which is 
intrinsically good ? And would it be reasonable to refuse a 
sovereign prince the right *rf coining for the state ; lest 
that coin should be counterfeited or defaced ? As, in so- 
ciety, after warning the public of their danger, we content 
ourselves with apprehending the man, who attempts to im- 

E e 2 pose 

(b) 1 Cor. xiv. 



"328 THfc PORTRAIT OF ST. PAVL, 

pose upon us in this way : so we may rest fully satisfied 
with adoping die sanies mode of conduct, in regard to the 
church of God. 

Let it he here observed, that the operations of the Holy 
Spirit upon the hearts of believers are to be distinguished 
from the effects of enthusiara in the imagination of visional 
ries, just as readily as we distinguish health from sickness, 
wisdom from folly, and truth from falsehood. The believers 
of Rome could say ; The Spirit itself heareth iviiness with our 
spirit, that *M are the children of God (i). By one Spirit are we 
ali baptized, say the Corinthians, and have been all made to 
drink into one Spirit (k.) And St. Paul could testify, that 
many of the Ephesians were sealed, by the Holy Spirit of 
God, unto the day of redemption!}). They were all enthu- 
siasts, says a modern Doctor, unless they could restore 
sight to the blind, raise the dead from their graves, and. 
fluently converse in a variety of languages, which they had 
never taken the trouble to study. No; insinuates the 
.Apostle : von forget the essential tor the accessory, and found 
your .system upon hUe suppositions. Are ail workers of 
miracles ? Have all the gifts of healing ?. Do all speak ivith 
fatigues ? There mu~t, then, be some more indubitable me- 
thod of distinguishing those, whose bodies are become tem- 
ples of the Holy Ghost ; and / shew unto you this more ex* 
cedent way (rn) . What was meant by this excellent ivay, 
may be satisfactorily discovered by an attentive perusal of 
the following chapter; in which the Apostle would have. 
the examination to turn, not upon the gift of prophecy, 
and much less that of languages, but essentially upon all the 
( haraeters of charity. This was the reasoning of Au- 

gustine, as well as of St. Paul, when he made use of the 
to.'Lovwng expression ; " You then speak from the Spirit of 
" God, when you speak from a heart glowing with 
" love (n)." Such also was the method, in which Christ 
himself was accustomed to argue on this point. Beware, 
said he, of false prophets. Every good tree bringelh forth good 
fruit. Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them (o). Ami 
the fruit of the Spirit, continues St. Paul, is love, joy, peace, 
long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,, meekness, temper- 
a-net 

(\) Rom. viii, 16. (k) 1 Cor. xJi., .13. (') Epb. iv. 50. 

(nt) 1 Cor. sli.29, 31. 00 De spi'ritn drri.t, si diets ingle lis 

igne caiitath. Augustine. (o) Matt. viL \5,,%0. 



TBI PORTRAIT CI- ST. PA VL. <$%$ 



p). Now fanaticism was never known 10 bear such 
fruits as these. On the contrary, n produces divisions, foolish 
or stupid melancholy, trouble, impatience, fury, vain 
eonndence, arrogance, an J excess of different kinds. Nay, 
it U frequently observed to produce assertion* diametrically 
opposite both 10 scripture ana reason, together with absurd 
pretensions to new revelations. 

It may be asked in this place, w: n :; reason : If 

Christ still continues to revc bis Spirit, to 

everv true behevefj are not s .... ic is to be con- 

si j ere I as so many new re is } To : 

reply, that when the An Jtleof the gentiles petitioned 

Epherian converts, - - ,. .: i and recdtUion 

he was not to be understood as requeuing, that God 
would . dcate i a a new Gospel : t it ral 

. He would assist them to discdvei j tc 

experience e power, of that in:- he Go :f 

eh had be. ued am.:: Ig :.:era. 

mine eyes, said David, tftiti J 

fry Law (r). And when God was gracious! •- 3d to 

answer mis praver or the re " pbet. He u 

:ed him witn the illumination of b$ Hoij Spirit. But 
Spirit was ted, not ;br the p. iftg 

to hum a ne:i- Law, but inerelv fchg 
fathom the of that holy Law, vrhk 

Kong before. Thus also christian believers are ir 

ring up their joint i-uicj 

strengthen / his c the 

experience • revelations, but : 

to comprehend, with ail mi.--.:. I e of Chr.si ; 

and be filed 

After having defended interna! chrisl against car- 

nal christians and deluded fanatic isiof is 

obliged, on another part, to resist the ait !ng 

philosophers. And this he endeavours to do, by reason 

th them upon this important subject in ring 

manner. 

We consider the Supreme Being as a divine S ose 

centre is every wnere, and whose circumference is no 

E e 3 v. here- 

22, :3. r^Eoh. i. 17. ( ftalmczra 



oSO THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

where : a Sun, whose light is truth, and whose heat is 
charily. The truths of christianitv we consider as so many 
beams issuing from this glorious Sun Tor the illumination of 
the soul ; and as the rays of the natural sun may he collect- 
ed and rendered more powerful- by the interposition of a 
properly constructed medium, so the rays of this divine 
Sun are concentred and rendered more operative by the 
humanity of Christ. When any of these rays passing 
through the understanding, begin to strike forcibly upon 
the heart, they, melt down its stubbornness, refine its nature, 
and kindle in it a fire of love to God and man. Further ; 
we believe these changes to be effected in the soul through 
that secret energy, which is called by many the inspination 
of the Holy Ghost, by some the influence of the Spirit, and 
by others the grace of God, 

Is there any absurdity in this doctrine ? Can the intel- 
lectual world be supposed to merit the Creator's attention, 
in a less degree than the material world? If the ravs of 
light, that incessantly issue from the sun, are supposed to 
pass through the space of many millions of miles in a sin- 
gle moment, for the illumination and support of the material 
world ; should it appear incredible, that the most speedy 
and effectual succours may be imparted to holy soul*, by 
that more glorious Sun, which enlightens and vivifies the 
intellectual world ? From the cedar of Lebanon, to the 
moss-tffat covers its bark, no plant can vegetate ; trom the 
astronomer, who measures the heavens, to the animalcule 
that loses ilself in the cup of a violet as in a vast abyss, not 
a creature can exist ; but through the all-pervading influ- 
ence of the natural Sun. Beneath this wonderful star, not a 
single animal is found, which carries in itself it s grand 
principle of light, heat and motion. And if all organized 
bodies depend upon this indescribable luminary for their 
existence, their increase, and their perfection ; may we 
not reasonably argue from the rules of analogy, that as cer- 
tainly as there is a spiritual world, so there must be a 
spiritual Sun, which carries life and light to the inhabitants 
of that world ? 

Do you act in a rational manner, continues the true mi- 
nister, if because you cannot comprehend how this Sun 
may be said to act upon spirits, you shut your eyes against 

his 



THE PORTRAIT 0? ST. PAUL. 331 

kis light, and obstinately deny his very existence ? Can 
you comprehend bow the material sun, without suffering 
any decay in himself, is continually darting around him 
ravs sufficient to illumine and cheer revolving worlds? Can 
vou exphin how these rays are impelled, with such amaz- 
ing velocity, through the immense space, by which that 
sun is separated from those worlds } Or can you describe 
the means, by which they awaken in us the sensation of 
sight r" Moreover, is it not absurd to suppose, that the Al- 
mighty is more solicitous, that we should perceive the 
difference between white and black, than that we should 
discover the more important distinctions between virtue and 
vice, truth and error ? 

Ir you object, that the material sun is plainly perceived, 
and the power of his beams universalljifelt, by mankind. It 
may be replied, that he is not always discoverable. Some- 
times he is eclipsed ; frequently he is enveloped with thick 
clouds ; and at other times, .his rays glance upon us in so 
oblique a manner, that their influence is scarcely percept- 
ible: it is possible also to exclude his light by means of 
curtains or walls ; and the cataract effectually opposes his 
most direct beams. In the moral world there are obstacles 
of a similar nature, which frequently obstruct the course of 
celestial light. Clouds of error and vice are constantly 
rising around us, which, by obscuring the Sun of righteous- 
ness, leave room for the incredulous to doubt of his existence. 
The eye is, in general, so much dazzled with the glare of 
material objects, that it cannot discover the lustre of a 
different light. Sometimes, invincible prejudice, like a 
confirmed cataract, intercepts the strongest rays of truth : 
and, at other times, we are so closely shut up within the 
narrow limits of self-love, that the most piercing beams of 
uncreated love cannot penetrate into our gloomy retire- 
ment ; where that spark of reason, which might have direct- 
ed us to a higher light, is at length totally extinguished. 

The light of the Gospel is never absolutely rejected, but 
through the influence of sin, according to those words of 
Christ: Every one, that doeth evil, hateth the light, neither 
cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (i). And 
here we see the cause, why so many persons. cast .themselves 

headlong 
(t) John iii. 20. 



332 THF. PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

headlong into materialism, denying the inspiration of the 
Holy Spirit, and treating every impression of his power as 
the workings of a disordered brain. But as the testimony 
of blind men can never persuade a reasonable person, that 
he is under a delusion, while he sees, feels, and admires, 
the material sun ; so the joint testimony of all the incredu- 
lous men in the world may justly be counted of as little 
force, when they would prove scriptural illumination to be 
downright fanaticism. Notwithstanding all the impotent 
arguments that can be brought against him, the christian 
believer deserves not to be esteemed an enthusiast, when 
he declares, that Faith is the evidence of things not seen ; since 
he has reason and revelation to plead in his favor, his own 
experience, and that of his brethren, together with the uni. 
versal testimony of the primitive church. 

As you do not rank with professed atheists, it is proba- 
ble that you sometimes pray to the Supreme Being. Among 
other blessings, you implore of him, in a peculiar manner, 
patience to sustain those afflictions, which are necessary to 
the perfection of virtue. Now if you are persuaded, that 
God is able not only to hear ; but to strengthen you with his 
might: and, further, if you believe that, when he thus 
strengthens you for the day of affliction, you shall have any 
perception of his influencing power ; we are then perfectly 
agreed. But if you pray, without a humble confidence that 
God attends to your prayer ; and without ever expecting 
to receive from Him the assistance you implore ; youthen 
act like persons deprived of their reasoning powers : through 
the fear of praying like enthusiasts, you pray after the man- 
ner of idiots, and afford as manifest a token of extravagant 
folly, as though you should intreat tempests to grow calm, 
or beseech rivers to return to their sources. It is 

by such a method of reasoning, that the true minister resists 
the attacks of prejudiced philosophers, solicitous to make it 
appear, that the sanctifying and consoling operations of the 
Holy Spirit are as conformable to reason, as they are cor- 
respondent to cur urgent necessities,. 

But if it still be urged by the enemies of inspiration, that 
we have no distinct idea of the manner, in which any 
knowledge is conveyed to the sou!, except by means of our 
reason, or our senses ; and that to speak of things, which 

will 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 353 

will admit of no clear explanation, is running into the 
wildest enthusiasm — No, returns the faithful pastor: it is 
not usual ro esteem that man an enthusiast, who is employ- 
ed in bestowing alms upon the poor, though he can neither 
explain to us, how his gold was produced injthe mine, how 
his will actuates his hand, or how the feelings of chanty are 
excited in his bosom. If nature operates every thing in a 
mysterious manner, it is unreasonable to expect, that \ha 
operations of grace should be conducted in a less mysterious 
way. This is one of the arguments proposed by our Lord 
to Nicodemus. Except a man be born of the Spirit, he cannot 
niter into the Kingdom of God. But, it may be, you have no 
comprehension of spiritual things: marvel not, i;owever, at 
this ; since there are many things above thy comprehension 
iruhe natural world. The tvind bldzveih xihere it lisiethj and 
thou hearcst the sound thereof, but canst not tell, whence it 
cometh and whither it gosih ; so is every one that is born of the 
Spirit : they prove the operations of that Spirit by incontest- 
able effects, though they are unacquainted with many 
t'nngs, respecting the manner in which those effects are 
produced (u). 

We may here very properly apply what Professor Ver- 
net has said, concerning the manner in which God has fre- 
quently man Tested the truth to his Prophets. " It is easy 
66 to conceive/' says this judicious divine, '< that He i who 
'•' created the soul as well as the body, and who, for that 
<c reason, is called the Father of Spirits, can never be at a 
'* loss tor adequate means of communicating to us, when 
" he judges it necessary, ideas and discoveries wholly differ- 
<f em from those, which we are able to acquire, either by 
'- our own powers, or through the assistance of other per- 
" sons. If the most ignorant classes of men are acquainted 
rc with the art of reciprocally communicating their thoughts 
<( to each other; how much more may we imagine, that 
<( God is able lo act upon the soul, botn externally and in- 
'* ternally ; He, who has already placed within us some 
4 < confuted notions of piimitive truth ; He, who holds 
(e second causes in his hand, and animates all nature (w) }" 

Em if.it be asked ; Are not Prophets, properly so called^ 
the only persons, whom God is pleased to privilege with 

such 
(u) John Hi. 5, 8. (w) Verite de la ReKg, chret. Tom, I, 



334« THE PORTRAIT OK ST. PAUL. 

such impressions as are formed by the seal of his Spirit ? It 
might, with equal propriety* be enquired, whether the 
Apostles alone were privileged with that evangelical faith, 
which respect* invisible and incomprehensible things (x) ? 
* f A sou!/" says the illustrious Crousaz, €< upon which the 
" Spirit of God has moved, muses upon her Creator wiih 
" ineffable delight, and contemplates her Redeemer with a 
" mixture of gratitude, admiration, and transport. O my 
** God 1 such a soul is incessantly crying out, when shall I 
" see thy face ? When shall thy light illuminate me without 
" one darkening cloud ? To approach Thee is my only 
** happiness. Happy they, who praise thee, without 
,s ceasing." 

" I acknowledge," continues this christian philosopher, 
" that these may Be the natural effects of that attention, 
" wiih which the Spirit or' God has graciously fixed our 
(( mines upon those objects, which revelation presents to our 
" view,ard upon which it directs us to occupy our thoughts. 
" But I am not afraid of going beyond the truth, when I 
" add, that the Spirit of God, by his own immediate 
" agency, may inspire the soul with this sacred taste 
" and these exalted sentiments. Corporeal objects act 
" upon the organs of sense by a power, which they un- 
<f doubtedly receive from God. This may, in some mea- 
" sure, be understood : but in what manner their action 
" passes from thence upon the soul, is a mystery too obscure 
er to admit of an explanation. Christian philosophers have 
" conceived, that the will of God, and some established 
c< order of his appointment, are the only causes of those 
" internal sentiments, of which these impressions upon the 
if outward organs are but the occasion. This being the 
** case, under what pretext can we refuse to believe, that 
i( the Spirit of God may give rise to such sentiments its the 
1< soul, as are abundantly more conformable to the nature of 
ee their holy cause, than those ordinary sentiments, which 
€< are, nevertheless, referred to the will of God, as their 
4< first and true cause? Such are those sentiments, which 
" St. Paul so earnestly solicited for his followers at Ephesus, 
ft and for the increase of which, he implored upon them the 
" influence of the Holy Spirit (y)." 

Such 
(x) Heb. xi. t. (y) Epb. iii. 14, 21, S*e Professor Crousaz's 

sermon upon 2 Cor. xiii. 14. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 335 

Such also are those impressions motions, and aids, of 
the Holy Spirit, both mediate and immccliatf, lor which we 
offer up so many ardent suppliactions in different parts of 
our public service. Every christian liturgy is filled wiih 
petitions of this nature ; petitions, which are equally con- 
formable to the principles or Christianity, the voice of rea- 
son, and the necessities of sinful men ; though ihcj usually 
appear to the children of this world, as the mere unintelligi- 
ble jargon of enthusiasm. The minister, who strictly fol- 
lows the example of St. Paul in this respect, will most 
probably be regarded as a visionary by the ignorant and 
the profane; but, while he breathes out these ardent pray- 
ers, in humble faith, accompanying them with those dis- 
courses and that conduct, which are correspondent to such 
requests ; he has, at least, a satisfactory consciousness, that 
he has never practised the arts of an impostor with the 
liturgy in his hand \ nor played the part of a comedian in a 
christian pulpit. 

As to the real advantages, which may be expected to 
flow from our doctrine of the dispensations; though they 
have been adverted to in various passages of this work, yet 
it appears not unnecessary to take a transient review of 
them in this place. 

1. By an accurate acquaintance with ; these dispensa- 
tions, every evangelical preacher may become an approved 
workman, rightly dividing (he ii)ord of trail i (z) ; and a faith- 
ful servant, distributing to every domestic of his Master's 
household that peculiar portion of spiritual food, w r hich is 
suited to their several circumstances (a). 

2. By exactly dividing the dispensations of grace, we 
shalr be enabled to mark out the boundaries of those particu- 
lar states, which believers of different classes are observed 
to enjoy. We ascertain that degree of spiritual life, to 
which we ourselves have attained. We distinguish the va« 
nous graces bestowed upon us; we discover whatever great 
promise is still before us, and solicit, without ceasing, the 
complete accomplishment of that promise. He, who 
preaches the Gospel, without tracing out the lines which 
separate the three dispensations of grace, may be said to 
exhibit a sun-dial, upon which the hours are unmarked, and 

from 
(z) 2 Tira. ii. 15. (a) Matt. xxiv. 45, 



336 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

from which little else than confusion, it' not dangerous mis* 
takes, can be expected to flow. 

3. By the light of this doctrine, true worshippers of 
every different class may be taught to acknowledge and 
esteem one another, according to their different degrees of 
faith. Nothing is more common in a christian country, 
than to see the rigidly orthodox^ -uncharitably treating, as 
hopeless outcasts, not only those virtuous deists, who are yet 
unacquainted with the Son ; but even those pious socihians, 
who are resting satisfied with that inglorious state, in which 
the first disciples of our Lord were so long detained ; and 
who are unable to acknowledge any more than his humani- 
ty. Let these orthodox professors become acquainted with 
the various dispensations of grace, and, ceasing to offend, 
either virtuous deists or pious socinians, with their furious 
anathemas, they will treat the former with ail the benevo- 
lence, which St. Peter once expressed towards Cornelius, 
and the latter with that brotherly kindness, which Aquila 
manifested in his carriage toward A polios. On the 

other hand, if such christians, as are yet carnal, hud any 
proper idea of these different dispensations 3 if they could 
but believe that the same Jesus, who was once outwardly 
manifested among the jew?, still continues to manifest him- 
self in the Spirit, through every part of the world, to those, 
who are anxiously pressing into the Kingdom of God 5 if 
they could admit, but in theory, this eminent dispensation of 
grace, they would no longer argue against those, as en- 
thusiasts, who speak of the influence of the Spirit in scrip- 
tural terms. 

So long as this glorious light shall continue in obscurity, 
so long we may expect to observe among christians the 
most unfriendly disputes ; and though they never again may 
kindle blazing piles for their mutual destruction, jet bitter 
words interchanged among them, like so many envenomed 
shafts, wi 1 still continue to declare, that war is in their 
fcearts. Those who imagine themselves in possession of the 
purest christian faith, will treat others, who indulge differ- 
ent sentiments, as injidds and heretics; while thtse, in 
return, will stigmatize their unchaiitable brethren with the 
opprobrious epithets of enthusiast and fanatic. But when 
every minister of the* Gospel, enlightened with tmth and 

glowing 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 33? 

glowing with charity, shall faithfully conduct the flock of 
Christ from grace to grace, and from strength to strength ; 
then the foremost of that flock shall manifest their religious 
superiority, by giving proofs of the most unfeigned affection 
toward the meanest and most infirm of their spiritual com- 
panions. Copying the humble courtesy of T>t. Paul, these 
unpresuming elders will cry out, among their younger bre- 
thren ; Let us, as many as be I 'ike*?ni nded, forgetting those things 
which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which art 
before, press earnestly toward the ?7iark, for the prize of the 
high calling of God in. Vhrist Jesus : and if in anything ye bv 
otherwise minded, that perfect charity which hopeth afi 
things, engages us to believe, that God shall reveal even this 
unto you. Nevertheless, whereto we have already attained, let 
tt$ ivatk by the same rule, let us mind the same things (b). 

Jt may not be amiss to conclude these remarks upon the 
three grand dispensations of grace, by observing, how 
imperfect worshippers deceive themselves, while they re- 
fuse to proceed from faith to faith. It is the opinion of many 
sincere deists, who are zealous for the dispensation of the 
Father, that were they to embrace the dispensation "of the 
Son, they must necessarily detract from the honor due to 
the incomprehensible God. This prejudice, However, 
evidently flows from the want of spiritual discernment; 
since the holy Scriptures instruct us, that, when at the name 
of Jesus every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess that he is 
Lord of Heaven and earth, such religious adoration shall be 
considered as ultimately heightening the glory of God the 
Father (c). Now if the Father leads us to the Son, by the 
dawnings of his grace, as we are taught by the following 
passages — No man can come unto me, except the Father draw 
him (d). Simon Peter said, Thou art Christ the Son of the liv- 
ing God : Jesus ansivered'him, Blessed art thou Simon Barjona : 
for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father 
which is in heaven (e) : it is equally certain, that, when we 
come to Christ, he teaches us both to know and Worship the 
Father. Observe the language of our Lord, with respect to 
this point; / am the way, the truth, and the life: no man. 
cometh unto the Father, but by me (f). Father, glorify thy Son, 

F f ' that 

•(b) Phil. iii. 13, 16. - (c) Phil. ii. 10, 1 ft (d) John vl 44 
(e) Matt. xvi. 16,17. (f ) John xiv. 6, 



33& THE I'ORTRAIT OF ST. PAUX. 

that thy son also may glorify Thee. This is life eternal, thai 
they might know Thee 7he only true God, and Jesus Christ whom 
thou hast sent. Righteous Fathw, the world hath not knowrp 
thee; but I have known thee, and these have known that thou 
hast sent me, to make an open display of thy glory upon 
earth. I have declared unto them thy name,, and I will declare 
it, jet more perfectly (g). From these passages it 

evidently appears; that the faith of the §op cajh never 
possibly take away from that profound veneration, vyhichie 
due to the Father. And what is here observed,, relative to 
the faith of ,the Son, is no less true with regard to the faith 
of the Holy Spirit. For if, under the dispensation of Jesus.,, 
we learn to address our Father, who is i& Heaven, with a 
degree of humble confidence ; it is only under the dispen- 
sation of the Spirit, that we are enabled to make those ad- 
dresses with all that filial reverence and that lively fervor, 
which the Gospel requires. This spirit of adoption, by 
witnessing with our spirit that we are the children of God (h), 
assists us to bow before our celestial Parent with that inef- 
fable veneration and love, which are due to the Supreme 
Eeing. If philosophers would duly reflect Upon these 

important truths, they would no longer tremble under the 
vain apprehension of becoming idolaters and tritheists, by 
admitting the doctrines of the Gospel. On the contrary, 
we might indulge a hope, that these proud reasoners would 
one day be seen, in company with humble believers, ap- 
proaching the God of their Fathers, through the interces- 
sion of the Son, and with the energy of the Holy Spirit ; 
crying out, with St. Paul: There is one God, and one Medi- 
ator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus (i) ; and 
through him we have access, by one Spirit, unto the Father (k). 

There is another ckss of worshippers, who are zealous 
for the dispensation of the Son, and who, wholly taken up 
with the wordma,7\ifested ift the flesh, imagine that his dis- 
pensation is rendered contemptible, if it be represented 
merely as the commencement of Christianity ; while the 
perfection of the Gospel is declared to consist in the dis- 
pensation of the Holy Spirit. To the consideration of 
such, W£ would propos^ the following expression of St. 

Paul J . 

r?) Johjixrii. <<h) Kom. viii. 15, 16, .('0 .1 Tim. ii. $• 

(k> Eph. ii. 1.8. 



THE PORTRAIT 0>* ST. PAUL- 

Paul : Henceforth, know we no man after thefUsh: yea, thoUgk 
we have known Christ after the flesh ; yet, 'henceforth, know we 
him no more, after this manner (1). And though our Lord 
is acknowledged to hare spoken on this wise ; Whoso eateih 
my flesh and drinketh my Mood, hath eternal life; and I wilt 
raise him up at the last day : for my fles-h is meat indeed, and 
-nyblood'is drinkindeed — yet, it must likewise be confessed, 
that- he immediately- added ; It is the Spirit, that qnickemeth ; 
the flesh profiteih nothing (m). 

The following observations, it is hoped, will entfrely 

dissipate the fears of these pious persons. When the Spirit or 
truth is come, saith our Lord, he will guide yon into all truth ; 
and especially into those truths, which respect faith lowar-;; 
me, and repentance toward my Father. He shall glorify 
;ne : for he shall receive of mi?ze, and shall sJlcw unto you, the 
merits of my righteousness, the efficacy of my death, aji3 
the power of my Gospel in}* Thz Father shall give yon (mo- 
r Comforter, xihom ye already knout in p«rt ; for lie dwelleth 
with you > even now m my bodily presence : but, hereafter, 
He shall be in you, wlien I shall have baptized you with tne 
Holy Ghost sent down from Heaven. I will not have you 
comfortless : I will come unto you. The world seetk me no 
more ; but ye shall see me, in the effects of my indwelling 
prvver : sikI becriicst 1 live, ye shall live also. At that day, ye 
shall know, that I am in my Father, and ye in Tne, and 1, by 
my spirit, in you (o). This spiritual abode of Christ in 

the souls of his people, is the most giorions mystery of the 
Gospel; and if any man have not the Spirit of Christ (p) , rje 
is at be-t but a disciple either of Moses, or of John the Bap- 
tist ; he is not in a spiritual, but in a carnal state, 

/ live : yet not I, but Christ liveth in me (q). Christ is our 
life (r). The mysteiy, which hath been hid from ages, is Christ 
in you the hope of glory (s). My little children, of whom 1 
travail in birth, until Christ be formed in you (t). These, 
with a thousand other scriptural expressions, must be utter- 
ly incomprehensible to those, who, resting contented with a 
literal knowledge of the incarnate word* admit not the in- 
ternal manifestation of Christ, by his spirit of revelation, 

F f 2 wisdom, 

(1) 2 Cor. v. 16. (m) John vi. 54, 63. (n) Johnxvi. 13, 14. 
(o) Johnxiv. 16,20. fa) Horn. viii. 9. (q) Gal. ii. 20. 

(t) Col. iii, 4, (s) Col. i. C6, Ql, (tj Gal. ir, \ J- 



340 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

wisdom, and power. The deep things of God are revealed 
unto us by his Spirit (v) : hence, without this Spirit, we 
must continue strangers to the most exalted truths of the 
Gospel, and be cut off from the purest springs of religious 
coiisolation. This is he, saith St. John, that came by ivater 
and blood j even Jesus Christ : not by water only, hut by ivater 
and blood. And it is the Spirit, that beareth witness ; because 
the Spirit is truth (w). As though the Apostle should say; 
Christ, indeed, in the first part of his ministry, proclaimed 
that repentance toward God, which his own disciples, as 
Well as John the Baptist, weve accustomed to seal with a 
baptism of water. And to this sacred ceremony he himself 
condescendingly submitted. But, after this, he proceeded 
further ; when, as a visible Savior, he sealed his own dis- 
pensation of grace with a baptism of blood upon the cross. 
Moreover, it is the Spirit, that gives testimony to the un- 
^e/arvhable truths of the Gospel, by his still more excellent 
baptism ; deepening our repentance toward God, and add- 
ing a, full assurance (x) to our faith in Jesus Christ. Let 
no, one then suspect, that the manifestation of the Spirit 
must necessarily obscure the glory of the Sen ; especially 
since it is expressly declared, that no man can say, that Jesus 
'is' the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost (y). 

Before we close this section, we have to lament, that 
this important part of the Gospel is so rarely published 
among professing christians. The greater part of the 
clergy are to be ranked with the most violent opposers of 
spiritual religion. They insult its followers, they condemn 
its advocates unheard, and presumptuously speak evil of those 
things which they know not (z). As there was a time, in 

which the Jewish church overlooked the most important 
promise under the dispensation of the Father ; so it was 
intimated that a time would come, in which the christian 
church, sunk into a state of listlcssness and incredulity, 
should neglect the grand promise under the dispensation of 
the Son. When the Son of man cometh, saith our Lord, shall 
-he find faith on the earth (a) ? He will find little indeed, if 
we may either rely upon our own observations, or give 
credit to the most solemn assertions of a predicting Apos- 
tle (b). 

All 
(v) \ Cor. ii. 10. (w)J John v. 6. (x) Hcb. x. l 22. (y) 1 Cor, xii. 3, 
(z) Jude iO. (a) Luke xviii. S. (b) 2 Tim. iii. 1,3, 



TH&'ftOftfHU-IT OF ST. PAUL. 344 

All oiu! ecclesiastics, however, are not of this descrip- 
tion. Among the thousands <s& this sacra d order, we fed 
niany? tfko ate pbssQ^edotr godly fear, s&ifturaljaith, and 
cfm$ti&7i<:hatity. These pious evangelists are anxious fW 
the saltation 1 of those committed to their charge. They 
tabor to spread the Kingdom of God among men, though 
they have never experienced f ha* kingdom according textei 
fulness- of th© promise. Arid thougii they are unacquainted 
with the abundant plenitude of the Gospel, yet they cease 
not to publish that Gospel abroad with affection and zeal. 
They preach the cross of Christ ; but they proclaim not the 
spiritual coming of a risen Savior. As their careless bre- 
thren refuse to publish the coming of the Spirit through 
infidelity and prejudice ; so these upright ministers neglect 
to preach it, through uncertainty and irresolution. U they 
even entertain a just opinion of the doctrine for which we 
plead, yet they are restrained from speaking frequently and 
freely upon the subject ; because, as many false christians 
have rendered the dispensation of the Son contemptible in 
the eyes of deists ; so many vainly-inspired zealots have 
caused the dispensation of the Spirit to appear ridiculous 
before sober-minded christians. But, notwithstanding the 
reproach, which many fanatics, of various sects, have 
brought upon this sublime part of the Gospel, by mingling 
with it the reveries of an heated imagination ; yet it will 
constantly be regarded, by every well-instructed christian, 
as the quintessence of our holy religion. 

There appears little probability, that this neglected doc- 
trine will be either universally received or preached in our 
degenerate day. But, as truth has never been left entirely 
destitute of witnesses, and as the generality of ministers 
have still courage enough to maintain, before an unbeliev- 
ing world, the dispensation of the Son ; we may reasonably 
hope, that they will continue to mention the dispensation of 
the Spirit, at least, on every commemoration of the pente. 
costal glory. By this means, we may preserve among us a 
precious spark of sacred fire, till our returning Lord, burst- 
ing through the clouds of incredulity, shall kindle the spark 
into an everlasting flame. In that day, the idle pretensions 
of enthusiasts shall no more influence believers to reject the 
Holy Spirit, than the vain pretensions of those false Christs, 

F f 3 who 



342 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAUL. 

who formerly appeared among the jews, could influence the 
faithful to reject their only Lord and Savior. The dispen- 
sation of the Spirit shall then appear as glorious tp the eyes 
of admiring christians, as the dispensation of the Son once 
appeared to ravished Simeon : and every apostolic pastor 
shall conduct his flock from the dispensation of the Father, 
through that of the Son, to that of the Holy Spirit, in as ra- 
pid a manner, as St. Peter is reported to have done in his 
first discourse. 



•vv\^\rf^ 



AN 



MSS*AY 

ON THE 

CONNEXION OF DOCTRINES 

WITH 

MORALITY. 



Preliminary Observations. 

KjOME divines, almost wholly occupied with the doctrines 
of the Gospel, are not sufficiently careful to insist upon ?no- 
rality: while philosophers, for the most part, as wholly 
taken up with morality, treat the doctrines of the Gospel with 
neglect and disdain. It is to reconcile, if possible, these 
two mistaken classes of men, that a few observations are 
here presented upon the importance of such doctrines, and 
their immediate connexion with morality. 

Morality is the science, which regulates our manners, by 
teaching usto know and to follow justice, rendering to every 
one their due, love, honor, obedience, tribute, &c. The 
whole of this morality is included in those maxims of natural 
and revealed religion — Whatsoever ye would, that men should 
do unto you, do ye even so unto them (a). Render unto Cesar, 
the things, which are Cesar's; and unto God, the things, xohich 
are God's (b). Hence it follows, that pure morality must 
maintain some form of divine worship. . 

Some moralists, it is true, imagine it possible to be strict- 
lyjust, without making any profession of piety. But if jus- 
tice consists in doing that to others, which we desire may be 
done to ourselves ; it is clear, that every man, who honors 
not the supreme Being, must be unjust as well as impious : 
since, if we are parents or benefactors, we manifest so deep 
a sensibility of the injustice of our children or dependants 
when they repay our kindness with insolence and ingrati- 
tude. 

Doctrines are, in general, precepts : but by doctrines are 
here, particularly, understood, those instructions, which 

Christ 
(a) Matt. vii. 11. (b) Matt, xxii. SI. 



344 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Christ and his Apostles have given respecting the different 
relations^ in which we stand to Gojj, and to each other; 
together with the various duties consequent upon such re- 
lations. 

Such instructions as are transmitted from generation to 
generation, under the name of" maxims or doctrines, whether 
they be true or false, have a prodigious effect upon the con- 
duct of those, who admit theiti. In the ancient world, how 
many hapless infants have been sacrificed among the Greeks 
and Romans to that barbarous maxim -— Fathers have the right 
of life and death over tfew nexb-bortf cJaldrtn. In the modern 
world, how vast a number of unborn infants, and how many 
fanciful heroes are falling every yeaf unfortunate victims to 
those maxims of false honor — * It is better to destroy the fruk 
of an illicit love, or to plunged swofd into the bosom of a friend > 
than to live wii'h&ui iltai, 'ttokidh constitutes the honor of &e sexes. 
Overturn these maxims of a false point of honor, and you 
destroy the principles, upon which a thousand impious ac- 
tion >» are eomtnitted . 

Mankind can no more divest themselves of all preposses- 
sion in favor of general maxims, than they can lose sight of 
determining motives. The atheist and the infidel have their 
particular doefrines/ as well as the just man and the christian* 
The inconsistency of some philosophers, in this respect, is 
here worthy to be noted *j who begiri their discourses by 
facryiWgvtaXbW in general, and* cdriclude them, by setting 
forth and fnahltamhrg the most dangefaxrs doctrines. Me 
road ttrperrnaftent kappmetis, say they,- is both cohvem&tt md 
spacious. The Almighty pays but tittfe regard to out actiom* 
wid Imi endued us with jxmionsfor the tiery purpose of gratify- 
ing them* They; .bismuate, that if a ifcan is sufficiently rich 
to entertain a mrniber of w<$mcn, he may iji<noce&% enjoy 
whatever pleasure their society eaa> afford him: a»d,tkat> 
whera\ he has no fenger any rejish for life, he may &$ inno- 
cently Wow- out his brains. Such are the doctrines, and au^h 
vs the morality, which marly itt-iu^trtiGted professors are 
preaching among us. at this: day ; giving ample ttfstimpn^, 
that no men are more ready to set up for dogmatists, than 
those ,who reject the doctrines uf the Gospel. 

CHAP, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 34-5 

CHAPTER I. 

Philosophers, so called, exult themselves, without Reason, .against 
tlic Doctrines of the Gospel. 

l\S those person^ who affect exterior acts of devotion, 
are not always possessed of the most solid piety ; so they, 
who are foremost to magnify philosophy, are not always to 
be regarded as the wisest of mankind. It must, however, 
be confessed, that many christians have afforded philoso- 
phers too just a subject of scandal, by continually opposing 
faith to reason: as though, in order to be possessed of the 
richest christian grace, it were necessary to renounce that 
noble faculty, which chiefly distinguishes us from the brute 
creation. Like the great Apostle, we may rationally oppose 
faith to sense ; but we can never, without the highest indis- 
cretion, oppose it to reason. We should even be cautious of 
saying with M. de Voltaire and St. Louis, f< Take heed 
' " how you follow the guidance of your weak reason (a). Ji 
The reason of man is acknowledged to be weak, when 
compared with the intelligence of superior Beings. But 
whatever its weakness may be, if becomes trsy with grati- 
tude, to follow it as our guide : since, in a gloomy night, it 
is better to profit from the smallest taper that can be pro- 
cured, than obstinately to shut our eyes and walk at random. 
If believers prefer the revelation of Christ before the philo- 
sophy of infidels, it is because the most enlightened reason 
influences their choice. 

The true believer is not afraid of pleading against mo- 
dern philosophers before the tribunal of reason. " You 
" accuse me," he may say, " of superstition ; because, in 
" pursuing those, honors, riches, and pleasures, which are 
" eternal, I have chosen the rough and uncomfortable path 
" of piety. But, while I act thus, I aci in no less confor- 
te mily to the principles of reason, than the man, who, to 
" expel a sweet poison, receives a bitter antidote, and 
" cheerfully submits to a disagreeable regimen, till he is 
" restored to perfect health. If the sacrifice of a few tri- 
" fling enjoyments, for the present, will secure to me the 
" possession of everlasting felicity ; I do but imitate the 

" prudent 
(a) A ia foible raison, garde toide te reecho,' 



$4$ TH^E FOftTRAlTXTP St. PAUL 

" prudent husbandman, who deprives himself to-day/of a 

" few bushels of grain, that, after a few months of patient 

" expectation* he may reap from his trivial loss an abund* 

w ant harvest. And U it unreasonable in me to adopt such 

" a mode of conduct ; especially, when the sweet hope of 

** promised blessings affords me, even now, a joy as solid 

u m\d constant, as your's is transitory and vain V 

" Ye iron of boasted wisdom ! we dare assert, that the 
" secret springs of your morality are weak and gross, in 
" comparison with ours. You maintain, that, in order U> 
" bind a rational creature to the practice of morality, no- 
c( thing further is requisite than the consideration of his 
" own interests. You affirm, moreover, with equal conn* - 
" dence, that all attempts to urge mankind to the exercise 
t( of virtue, by the consideration of evangelical motives, is 
" but depending upon the force of ties, which are tod 
" feeble to be binding. But you perceive not, that the 
" method upon which you- proceed, with so much self* 
r/ approbation, is entirely unworthy of true moralists"; 
"since it merely opposes one evil, by means of another 
(* full as detestable, in giving that to pride, which- it wrests 
" ittrrn otfter vicious propensities. And you, undiscern* 

ec ing instructor of Em if ius and Sophia! you, who say in 
4( j^our confession of faith; Unknowing liow t& determine, ( 
" neithdr admit revelation^ nor reject it: rejecting only the 
" obligation to receive it — if you have removed those pow* 
" erful motives to true virtue, which are drawn from the 
" Gospel ; w r hat have you given us in exchange ? Love, 
" that you may be loved again. Become amiable, that you may 
" be happy. Make yourself esteemed, that you may be obeyed. 
" What greater felicity can a noble soul possess, than that 
" which flows from the pride of virtue, joined with beauty. 
(< How puerile and insufficient are these motives, when 
<( compared with those, which the Gospel presents ! Lead* 
tf ing mankind to virtue by such a route as this; U it not to 
u inspire them, at once, with alia pharisee's pride and a 
" Jezebel's vanity t" 

When we draw a vail over the sublime objects of faith, 
and place before men the mere consideration of some pre- 
sent advantage, in order to influence their conduct; then 
w$ actually treat the rational part of the creation, as we are 

accustomed 



TITE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 347 

accustomed to deal with the most brutish animals. Be- 
hold that swine making up to a heap of corn. Throw but 
4" single hand-full of that heap in his way, and he will pass 
on no further; since fifty grains -of corn scattered immedi- 
ately before his face, will attract him more forcibly than as 
many bushels piled up at a distance. Were it possible to 
make him an offer of all the harvests in the universe, after 
a single hour; yet he would not sacrifice for them all, the 
poor enjoyment of the present moment. He, who thus 

fixes his attention upon temporal and sensible objects, for- 
gets that his soul is immaterial and immortal. He, who 
cannot be engaged to the practice of virtue, but by means 
of such unworthy motives, may be said to infuse morality in 
the cup of Circe, lest he should be constrained to receive it 
at the hand of Christ. 

Why are infidels and unstable christians observed to fall 
before temptation ? The only reason that can be given, is, 
that, being affected in too lively a manner with the things 
that are immediately before them, they are in no condition 
to contemplate those objects which are more remote, of 
how great importance soever they may be. Hence, the 
inestimable objects of faith appear to them, as the fixed 
stars discover themselves to the vulgar, despoiled of their 
real magnitude and glory, and apparently of too little con- 
sequence to merit much attention. With the sincere chris- 
tian, the case is wholly different. His faith, which is a gift 
from God, may be compared to a divine telescope, by 
which the most distant objects are brought within his ken 
(b). And of this sacred help he happily avails himself, till 
wholly certified of the nature and importance of celestial 
things, he necessarily acquires ideas and sentiments suitable 
to so grand a discovery. Not possessing 

the same assistance, what wonder is it, that the infidel 
should remain a perfect stranger to the christian's sacred 
views and exalted sentiments ! He foolishly rests con- 
tented with the naked eye of his reason, regardless of 
that ignorance, and those prejudices, with which h is 
too frequently obscured. Thus, self-deluded, he despises 
the divine instrument above described, and scoffs at 
those, who are known to use it; just as the illiterate were 

formerly 
(b) Heb, si. l. 



348 THfc PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

formerly accustomed to set at nought the most profound 
astronomers, -and to look with derision upon their mysteri- 
ous apparatus. 

As io the power of this faith, by which alone any spi- 
ritual discovery can be made, it is too wonderful to be cre- 
dited cither by the ignorant or the impious. It removes 
mountain* •■: and, to the possessor of it, nothing is impossible (c). 
It affords the believer a perfect victory over the present 
world (d), by putting into his hand a skidd, which is impe- 
aietrable to all the fiery darts of the nicked (e). Here is the 
christian's security ! Behind this buckler of celestial temper, 
he remains in undisturbed tranquillity; while the incredu- 
lous philosopher, together with the abandoned sensualist, 
are hurling against it the feeble darts of ridicule and malice. 

It must be acknow ledged, (hat many excellent precepts 
of morality are found in the Alcoran, and in the works of 
modern philosophers: but it must be asserted, at the same 
time, that the enemies of Christ are chiefly indebted to re- 
velation for every just conception of religious truth. The 
authors of the Alcoran, of Emilius, and the Philosophical 
Dictionary, before ever they began to dogmatize, were ap* 
prized, that there is a God, whom it is our duty to love 
above all things, and who has commanded us' to love our 
neighbour as ourselves. It is, therefore, matter of little 
surprize, that a lovely sentiment of this kind, should here 
and there brighten a page of their gloomy volumes. Their 
false coin could never have become current in the world, 
unless they had artfully mingled with it some little quantity 
of the pure gold of scriptural truth. 

We shall conclude this chapter with a beautiful passage 
from Tertullian, in which he points out the difference be- 
tween a true christian, and a philosopher so called. After 
having spoken of the vices, with which the Greek philoso- 
phers were infected, he makes the following reply to a very 
common objection. " It is objected, that some also among 
" us, are guiky of violating the laws of virtue. But it must 
ts be remembered, that such offenders pass no longer v\ ith 
" us for christians : while, among you, after the commission 
" of many vicious actions, philosophers still preserve their 
*? reputation, and continue to be had in honor. What re- 

" semblance 
(c) Matt. xvii. 20. (d) 1 Jthn v. 4. (e) Eph. vi. 16. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. S49 

(i semblance then is there, between the christian and the 

" philosopher? The one is a disciple of Greece ; the other 

" of Heaven. The one seeks to establish a fair reputation ; 

" the other aspires to work out his salvation. The one 

" speaks admirable words; the other performs good ac- 

" lions. The one destroys, a ^d the other builds up. The 

«* 'one deals in error, and the other in truth (£ )/* 



CHAP. II. 

The Doctrines of natural Religion and Philosophy are insufficient 
to produce true Charity in the Heart. 

HE doctrines of natural religion, such as the Being of a 
God, an overruling providence, and a judgment to come, 
are thejirst doctrines of the Gospel : but, hitherto, they have 
never been found sufficient to lead men into the love and 
practice of solid virtue. 

As the earth, deprived of its primitive fecundity, re- 
quires not only the genial influence of the sun ; but must be 
enriched and assisted by many other means, in order to re- 
cover its lost fertility : so the truths of natural religion, can 
never restore the degenerate soul to its lost perfection, with- 
out the powerful assistance of a revealed Gospel. On this ac- 
count, the Father of mankind has condescended to instruct us 
in doctrines more efficacious than those, which unassisted na- 
ture can discover, and abundantly better suited to our weak- 
ness ; that the tree of morality, having more numerous and 
vigorous roots, might be assisted to produce fruit of a more 
exquisite flavor, and in greater abundance, than it formerly 
had done. What the Law, says St. Paul, could not do, [the 
natural or mosaic Law] in that it was weak through ihejksh, 
[i. e. our corrupted nature, which stands in need of greater 
helps than those, which the Law can afford] God, sending 
his own Sonj condemned sin in the flesh, that the righteousness of 
the Law might be fulfilled in ns f by a power derived from 
him (a). Hence, this promised Savior was spoken of 

as the desire of all nations (b). And hence, that public de- 

G g claration 

(f) Apolog. ch. 46. (a).Rpa), viiL 3, 4. (b) Hag. ii. 7. 



350 TIIE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 

claration of Christ concerning the nature of his mission to 
the children of men : / am come., that they might have life, and 
that they might have it more abundantly (c). 

Without revelation., we are left a prey to the most cruel 
uncertainty. The Almighty created man, that he might 
partake of his own felicity : and, after having placed in his 
heart an ardent desire after the sovereign good, Fie made a 
benign discovery of Himself, as the one only and inexhaustible 
source of true blessedness. But, since the darkness of sin has 
overspread our understanding, we have lost sight of this 
sovereign good, and are seeking it, where it cannot possibly 
be found. Like Ixion in the fable, while we embrace a 
cloud, ' we imagine ourselves in possession of a sublime 
reality. And even after repeated convictions of our folly, 
uninstructed by disappointment, we set out again in pursuit 
of objects full as frivolous as those, by which we have been 
already beguiled. Philosophers, unable to guide mankind 
to true happiness, are vainly searching after it themselves in 
darkness and uncertainty. Divided into a variety of sects, 
they maintain a hundred different opinions upon a subject of 
so great importance. So that, after all the researches of its 
professors, philosophy has left the world in a state of equal 
perplexity, with a man, who, having but one arrow to level 
at the mark, has a hundred different marks proposed to him 
at the same time. 

In all this uncertainty, how happy is it to discover a 
volume, which decides the momentous question in so clear a 
manner, that reason itself can object nothing to the de- 
cision ! This book, the most ancient that can be produced, 
informs us, that Jehovah once appeared to the father of 
the faithful, and said unto him, I am the mighty * all-sufficient 
God, walk before me, and be thou perfect. S<5, will 1 make my 
covenant beiiveen me and thee : and thou shall become a joy- 
ful possessor of the sovereign good (d). When these 
"truths are once cordially assented to, the perplexity of the 
believer is then sweetly terminated, and his high vocation 
completely ascertained. From this time, be feels the impor- 
tance of those doctrines, which, like steady lights, eclipse a 
thousand glimmering meteors, and discover, amid* surround- 
ing dangers, a sure though narrow road to happiness. And 

here 

(c) John x. 20. * See the original, (d) Gen. xvii. 1, 2. 






THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 251 

here it is to be observed, that upon these important (ruths, 
as well as upon every other essential point, christians of all 
denominations are penectly agreed. 

What is meant by ivalning before God in perfection, is 
fully explained in the following terms; Thou shah love the 
Lord thy God iviih all thy heart : and thy neighbour as thyself 
(e). Nimv, unregenerate man, far from filling up these 
i;uiie% neglects the Supreme Being, and prefers his own 
particular interest, to that of society in general ; affording 
the strongest proof, that he possesses neither genuine piety, 
nor undis.-.embied charily. Hence, before such a man can 
become truly virtuous, it is evident, that his principles must 
be improved, and his inclinations rectified. And till these 
salutary changes take place in his soul, always vicious, rest- 
less, and selfish, he will continually be making some addi- 
tion to his external errors and his internal misery. 

Deists, while they acknowledge, that we are bound to 
love both God and man, presume upon the sufficiency of 
their own power lor the due performance of these extensive 
duties. Were they, however, truly anxious to practise 
these virtues in as unreserved a manner, as even natural re- 
ligion requires, they would quickly perceive the weakness 
of humanity, and acknowledge the deepest need of divine 
assistance. But so long as the piety of those persons consists 
in honoring God with their lips, while their hearts are far from 
him(f): and while they boast of manifesting toward man- 
kind a love so universal, that none but their enemies are 
excluded from it (g) : so long, they will need no other 
assistance for the performance of these wretched services, 
than, that which corrupted nature can amply afford. 

It is frequently asserted, that the mysteries of Redemption 
are utterly useless with respect to morality, and that the 
benignity of God, as exemplified in our creation and preserv- 
ation, is a sufficient motive to affection and obedience on 
the part of man. But since man has become a sinful and 
miserable creature, every motive to rectitude, that can possi- 
bly be drawn from his creation and preservation, has lost much 
of its former constraining influence. How many persons 
may we find in the world, who, instead of being penetrated 
with gratitude on account of these blessings > lament, with 

G g 2 despairing 

(<0 Matt. xxii. S7, 39. (f ) Isaiah xxix. 13, (g) Matt v. 43,. 



352 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAVL. 

despairing Job and Jeremiah, that ever they were born 
And when the miseries of life have rendered it almost in- 
supportable, can we reasonably imagine its repining posses- 
sor to be glowing with love to the deity, merely as the 
Author and Preserver of his unhappy existence ? Surely 
nothing can be more absurd than such a supposition. Yet 
how many boasted reasoners confidently maintain, that the 
very same gift, which wretched sufferers, in every age, 
have thrown back to the giver with anguish and contempt ; 
is nevertheless a motive sufficiently powerful to engage every 
transgressor of the. Almighty's- Law, to love him with all 
their heart, and serve him with all their power. 

But let us suppose that man, unassisted by the doctrines 
of the Gospel, has some knowledge of the sovereign good, 
and the means by which it may be obtained. Yet how 
superficial is this knowledge ! We might here produce a 
gloomy catalogue of those capital errors, into which the an- 
cient philosophers have fallen., with regard to these import- 
ant points. It must, indeed, be allowed, that modern 
professors have corrected many of those errors : but it must 
be lamented, at the same time, that they have unhappily 
adopted others, not a whit less glaring or fatal. Passing 
over, in silence, the horrible systems of atheistical writers, 
let us listen to philosophers of greater estimation, among 
whom Rousseau and Voltaire may rank as the most con- 
spicuous characters. The former of these acquired con- 
siderable reputation by his observations upon- the education 
of youth, and the latter, by the courage with which he 
contended for toleration. 

(f Let it be laid down," says Rousseau, <e as an incon- 
u testible maxim, that the first movements of nature are 
>( always right; and that there is no such tiling as original 
,e sin in the human heart-" How large a ^stride is here 
toward the sentiments of la Metrie ; all whose morality 
was wrapt up in this single sentence, Satisfy thy desires : 
they are the voice cf God and of nature. To enlarge this 

little quotation from J. J. Rousseau, would be a superfluous 
task. It must appear evident, to every unprejudiced read- 
er, from the above assertion, that the maxims of this ad- 
mired philosopher have a greater tendency to advance 

self* 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 353 

self gmif cation, than to promote universal benevolence in the 
world. 

Turn we now to the toleration of M. de Voltaire. In 
his epistle to Boileau, we find him writing thus — " I have 
n consecrated my voice to sing the praises of virtue ; over- 
!f coming those prejudices which are idolized by the ignor- 
" ant, I dare to preach toleration to persecutors (h)." 
Now when any man comes forth, in this public manner, to 
plead the cause of candor and liberality, we are naturally led 
to admire the generosity of his conduct. And it would be 
well ifM. de Voltaire was really deserving of all that credit, 
which a stranger i'ed^ disposed to give him, when he 
assumes so questionable an appearance. Bui, notwithstand- 
ing the praises, which this celebrated writer has bestowed 
upon his own humanity; and in spite of all the beautiful 
things he has said upon toleration ; many ungenerous senti- 
ments may be discovered in his works, which tend \o 
renew the most bloody persecutions. Take an instance 01 
two. 

1. It is never necessary to rise up against the religion of Hit - 
Prince. Upon this principle Jesus Christ 2nd 
St. Paul were highly worthy of blame, for withstanding t 
hypocrisy and idolatry, which composed the religion or 
Caiaphas and Tiberias. 

2. What is called a jansenkt is really a madman, a bad 
citizen, and a rebel. He is a bad citizen, because he trouble*. 
the order of the slate : he is a rebel, because 'he disobeys. I 
molinists are madmen of a more harmless kind. These two 
lovely maxims of toleration are to be Found in a little piece 
of M. de Voltaire's, intkied, Tie voice of a philosopher and of 
tlte people. . 

Had the King of France attended to this voice, he wc 
have regarded every jansenist, and, for the same reason, 
every protest ant, as a bad citizen, or a rebel ; every spark o. 
religious moderation would have been extinguished in 
royal bosom, and an. effectual door thrown open to the ter- 
rible exertions of tyrannical power. These pretended 
rebels might trren have perished unpitied and unheal 

G g 3 - wbi 

(h) A chanter la virtu j'ai consecre ray voix ; 

Vainqueuv des prcjuges qv.e 1" imbecile ericcnsc* 
,Fose aux persecutcur* pvechsr intolerance. 



354 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

'while the bigoted Prince, convinced that a man must cease to 
be a fanatic before he merits toleration, might have gloried in 
the rectitude of his public conduct. Such a Prince mip-ht 
have commanded his blood thirstytroops to advance under 
the banners of modern philosophy, leaving M. de Voltaire 
to animate them against the innocent with, what he calls, 
The voice of a philosopher. 

It appears > then, according to M. de Voltaire, that every 
subject should profess the religion of his Prince. Nor is 
this opinion less earnestly contended for by J. J. Rousseau, 
who tells us in his Emilius, that every daughter should be 
of her mother's religion, and that every wonum should prof tss 
the religion of her husband. So that, if a man should turn 
from the true and embrace a false religion, his wife and 
children are bound to apostatize with him : and, in case of 
a refusal on their part, J. J. Rousseau, while he affects to 
plead the cause of liberty, pronounces upon them a sentence 
of condemnation. Upon these principles of toleration, the 
father of a family is authorized te persecute his non-conform- 
ing wife and children, and a Prince may lawfully take up 
arms against such of his subjects as are esteemed fanatics* 
If the benevolence and morality of these candid philosophers 
were to be substituted in the place of that liberality and love,, 
which the Gospel requires (i), to what a deluge of misery 
would they give rise both in families and in common- 
wealths I Kings would tyrannize over the conscience of their 
subjects, husbands over that of their wives, and parents 
over that of their children : nor would the least religious 
liberty be experienced by any class of men, except by the 
Princes of the earth. Such is the imperfect charity, and such- 
the limited freedom, for which modern philosophers have 
contended with equal earnestness and approbation. 

The dangerous principles of these two oracles, upon 
the subject of toleration, will suffice to shew with how just 
reason the former of them could say -~J hate false maxims 9 ^ 
but I detest evil actions yet more. Alas ! the horrible actions 
of a murdering inquisitor terminate with his life ; but the 
intolerant doctrines of these reputed sages, may continue to 
scatter misery and death through the world, long after their 
neglected tombs are mouldered into dust, 

CHAP... 

(i) Mark ix. 38, te 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 355 

CHAP. IIL 

The great Influence of Doctrines upon Morality* 

X. O ascertain ihe importance of doctrines in general, let 
us consider the influence they have upon ourjconduct. Our 
duties in life depend upon the different relations we sustain 
in it ; and these relations affect us only as they are under- 
stood. Thus, it is necessary, that a child should know his 
father, before he can truly love him in that character. This 
love is the effect of certain instructions or maxims, which in- 
fluence our manners, in proportion as they are assented to. 
I love the man, from whom I have received my birth and 
education, with a particular affection : but such love is 
founded, first upon this general doctrine, Every child honor- 
ably bom should reverence and love his Father ; and, secondly, 
upon this particular truth, That man is thy Father. If I am 
made to doubt either of this general doctrine, or of this par- 
ticular truth, the moral springs of that respect, love, grati- 
tude, and obedience, which are due to my father, will 
necessarily be weakened ; and if either the one or the other 
should lose all Its influence over my heart, my father would 
then become to me equally indifferent as any other stranger. 

The knowledge, therefore, of the affinities, which subsist 
between one being and another, is essential to morality, 
Why is it, that no traces of morality can be discovered 
among the beasts of the field ? It is, because they are 
incapable of understanding either the relation in which crea- 
tures stand to the Creator, or the affinities which subsist 
among the creatures themselves. As it becomes the soldier 
to have a distinct knowledge of his officers, that he may ren- 
der to every one, according to his rank, the honor and 
obedience to which they are severally in titled ; so, pre- 
paratory to the practice of morality, it behoves us to have a 
clear perception of our various duties, together with the 
proper subjects of those duties. If some desperate malady 
has deprived us of this knowledge, w r e then rank with idiots, 
and are in no condition to violate the rules- of morality. 
Hence, the lunatic who butchers his father is not punishable 
among us asa parricide, because he has no acquaintance with 
these general maxims, No man should murder another — Every 

son 



356 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

son should honor his father ; nor has he any conception of this 
particular truth, The man, whom thou art about to destroy, is* 
thy father. 

Take away all doctrines, and you annihilate all the rela- 
tions which subsist among rational creatures, you destroy 
all morality, and reduce man to the condition of a brute 
beast, allowing him to be influenced by passion and ca- 
price, as the lowest animals are actuated by appetite and 
instinct. Admit only some few doctrines, and you admit 
only a part of your duties as well as your privileges. An 
example may serve to set this truth in a clear light. Sup- 
pose you have a rich father, who is, at present, entirely, 
unknown to you, and whom the world has never looked 
upon as your parent ; if you never receive any certain in- 
telligence concerning him, it is plain, that you can neither 
render him filial obedience, nor yet succeed to his estates. ,. 

Mariy philosophers, who cannot reasonably be suspected 
of fanaticism, or even of partiality to evangelical, principles^ 
have yet strenuously insisted upon the importance of doc- 
trines, as calculated to influence the conduct of mankind. 
A polished writer of this class seems to have entertained aa 
idea, that if all men were possessed of an enlightened un- 
destanding, crimes of every kind would be unknown in the 
world. Observe, at least, in what terms he speaks of war, 
which is an evil of that complex nature, that it may jusdy 
be looked upon as an assemblage of every possible vice. 
i( What is the cause of that destructive rage, which, in 
" every period, like a contagious malady, has infected the 
*' human race? Ignorance is, undoubtedly the source of 
" our calamities; ignorance with respect to the relations, ? 
" rights, and duties -of our species;, Thus., tbe.most ignor- 
ff ant and unpolished people have ever been the most war-. 
" like ; and those ages of the world which have been 
" peculiarly distinguished by darkness and barbarism, have 
41 been invariably the most fruitful in murderous wars. 
" Ignorance prepares the way for -devastation.; and devast- 
" ation, in its turn, reproduces ignorance. With a clear 
" knowledge of their rights, and their reciprocal duties, . 
u which form the true and only interest of nations, it is. a 
" contradiction to suppose, that those nations would vohin- 
H tarily precipitate themselves intoan abyss of inevitable 

""■evils 



THE PORTRAITGF ST. P.H'L. 357 

rr evih {a)/' This author, if he be supposed to speak of 
our relations and duties with respect to God. as well as those 
Surd out , reason on his side: and, 

especially, if h:< vie' - > were directed to the knawfedgt of 
eve: _dve, which should constrain us to nil up 

Upon these principles, of what fatal neglect are those 
person? gtii.tv, who, being charged with the religious su- 
ction of princes and people, leave both immersed in a 
ignorance, which draws after it the horrors of 
war, w is calamities that overspread the face 

of Christendom ! 



CHAP. IV. 

ffott ih t Docilities cf the Gospel come in to the Succour of 

Morality. 



i 



F to preach the Gospe 1 , is to leach sinners the relations 
whh respect to God, as Creator, Redeemer, and 

*; if -t is to announce the advantages which flow 
irom this threexid relation, till, penetrated with gratitude 
and lovr <ind a] -Ives to fulfil the several 

duties t; i fefeej stood engaged; we mav ;:ge the 

point out anv knowledge of equal importance 

i that, which is discovered in the Go>pei. To 

deprive os, e doctrines contained in this Gospel, 

is it n : press the most important instructions we can 

po^s: \ re asive; is it not to conceal from us a Testament, 

in our favor ? To decide this ques- 
, "• : • nere consider what influence these doctrines 
have upon mora itv. 

*s of worldly men, as wed as their vices, are 
a kind or traffic carried on by ;. : , e seh- 

love. I source Ihe si amiable of their 

actions how: and he istead or reierru g ah things 

o God, they act with an eve to their own im me- 
te au vantage. Christ has offered a remedv to this g: 

€v:h 
I tapes de l . ..... 



353 THE PORTRAIT OF ST* PAUL. 

evil, by teaching us, that to love the Deity with all our heart, h 
the first commandment of the Law ; and diat to love ourselves, 
and our neighbour as ourselves? ,* is but a secondary command- 
Viev.t in the sight of God : thus leading us up to divine love, 
as ihe only source pf pure virtue. When self-love is once 
reduced to this wholesome order, and moves in exact obe- 
dience to the Creator's Law, it then becomes truly com- 
mendable in man, and serves as the surest rule of fraternal 
affect ion. 

Evangelical morality ennobles our most ordinary actions, 
such as those of eating and drinking, requiring that all things 
be done to the glory of God (a), \. e. in celebration pf his 
unspeakable bounty. A just precept this, and founded 
upon the following doctrine, All things are of God (b) : to 
whom, of consequence, they ought finally to refer. If you 
lose sight of this doctrine, your apparent gratitude is nothing 
more than a feigned virtue, which has no other motives or 
ends, except such as originate and lose themselves in self- 
teve. In such circumstances, you cannot possibly assent to 
the justice of the grand precept above cited ; but holding it 
up, like the author of the Philosophical Dictionary, as a 
subject of ridicule, you may perhaps burlesque the reelings 
of a conscientious man, with regard to this command, as 
the comedian is accustomed to sport with the character of a 
modest woman. Thus, many philosophers are emulating 
the morality and benevolence of those censorious religionists, 
concerning whom our Lord significantly declared, Verily, 
they have their rcivard. 

How shall we reduce a shiner to moral order? Will it 
be sufficient to press upon him the following exhortations : 
Love God with all thy heart : Be filled with benevolence 
toward all men : Do good to your very enemies? All this 
v^culu be only commanding a rebel to seek happiness in the 
presence of a prince, whose indignation he has justly 
merited : it would be urging a covetous man to sacrifice his 
interests, not only to indifferent persons, but to his implaca- 
ble a! ersaries. To effect so desirable a change in the 
human heart, motives and assistance are as absolutely neces- 
sary, as counsels and precepts. 

Here 

'••) 1 Cor, x. 5% (b) 2 Cor. v. 13. 






THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 359 

Mere the doctrines of the Gospel come in to the surcour 
of morality. Eat how shall We sufficient!) adore that in- 
comprehensible Being, who has demonstrated to us, by the 
mission of his beloved Son, that the divine nature is Icve ! 
Or, how shall we refuse any thing to this gracious Re- 
deemer, who clothed himself with mortality that he might 
suffer in our sfeari ! All the doctrines of the Gospel have 
an immediate ten ency to promote the practice of morality. 
That of the incarnation, which serves as the basis of the 
New Testament, expresses the benevolence of the Supreme 
Being in so striking a manner, that every sinner, who cor- 
dially receives this doctrine, is constrained to surrender his 
heart unreservedly to God. His servile tear is changed 
into filial reverence, and his aversion into fervent love. 
He is overwhelmed with the greatness of benefits received; 
and, as the only suitable return for mercies of so stupendous 
a nature, he sacrifices, at once, ail his darling vices. <c If 
" the Son of God has united himself to my fallen nature," 
such a humble believer will naturally say; " I will not rest, 
U till I feel myself united to this divine Mediator : if He 
" comes to put a period to my misery ; nothing shall ever 
u put a period to my gratitude: if He has visited me with 
" the beams of his glory ; it shall henceforth become my 
tc chief concern, to r^Act those beams upon all around me, 
4< to his everlasting praise." 

The memorable sacrifice which was once offered up in 
the person of Christ, as a propitiation tor our sins, is calcu. 
lated to produce equally beneficial effects upon every sin- 
cere believer. This mysterious offering sets forth the 
malignity of our offences, and represents the compassion of 
the Deity, in so overpowering a manner, that, while it fills 
us with horror for sin, it completely triumphs over the ob- 
duracy of our hearts. From the moment we come to a real 
perception of this meritorious sacrifice, from that moment 
we die to sin, till rising again with Christ into a new lite (c), 
we. become, at length, wholly renewed in the spirit of our 
?nind(d). Point out a man, who unfeignealy believes 

in a crucified Savior ; and you have discovered a man, who 
abhors all manner of vice, and in whom every virtue has 
taken root. Such a one can thankfully join the whole mul- 
titude 
(c) Coloss. iii. 1. (d) Eph. iv. 23. 



360 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

iitude of the faithful, and say; Being justified by faith, we 
have peace ivith God, through our Lord Jesus Christ (e) ; 
and, rejoicing in hope of the glory of God '(f) , we have obeyed, 
from the heart, that form of doctrine, which was delivered unto 
us. Once, indeed, when we were without the knowledge 
of Christ, w? ivere the servants of sin : but now, being made 
free from sin, and become servants to God, we have our fruit 
unto holiness, and the end everlasting life (g). 

If you ravish from such a man these consoling and sancti- 
fying doctrines, you will leave him either in the stupid 
insensibility of those, who give themselves up to carnal secu- 
rity ; or in the perplexity of others, who are crying out, 
What shall we do to be saved ? The one or other of these ' 
states must be experienced, in different degrees, by every 
man who is unacquainted with the efficacy of evangelical 
doctrines. And if the first moralist * of the pagan world 
was yet observed to triumph over this stupidity and con- 
fusion, it was merely through the regenerating hope he 
indulged, that a restoring God, of whose internal operations 
he had already been favored with some faint perception, 
would one day afford him a more clear and perfect light. 



CHAP, v; 

Containing Reflections upon the Apostles 3 Creed. 

X; OR the fullest proof, that a strict connexion subsists 
between the doctrines of the Gospel and the most perfect 
morality, let us cast our eyes upon an assemblage of those 
doctrines, known by the name of The Apostles' Creed ; a 
creed, to which every true christian conscientiously sub- 
scribes, and which baptized hypocrites make a solemn shew 
of assenting to. Our prejudice against these holy doctrines 
must necessarily vanish, after we have duly considered the 
influence they naturally have upon the conduct of true 
believers. 

This confession of faith has three parts. The first con- 
tains the principal doctrines of deism, or natural religion, 

setting i 
(e) Horn. v. 1. (f) verse 2. (g) Rom. vi. 17, 22. * Socrates, 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. S6t 

setting forth the relation in which we stand to God, a? 
Creator. The second part of this creed includes the prin- 
cipal doctrines contained in the four Gospels, and places 
before us the relation we bear to God, considered m thecha- 
racter of Redeemer, or as coming to save the-world, by that 
extraordinary person, who is called the only-begotten Son 
of God. The doctrines, here enumerated, are those, with 
which the disciples of our Lord were wholly taken up, till 
the day of their spiritual baptism. The third part presents 
us with a recapitulation of the principal doctrines set forth 
in the Acts and Epistles of the Apostles. This latter part of 
the christian creed instructs us in our relation to God, as 
Sanctifier, or as coming to regenerate man, by that Spirit of 
truth, consolation, and power, which was promised by 
Christ to his followers : a Spirit, whose office it is to in* 
timet and sanctify the church of Christ, to maintain a i« n- 
stant communion among its members, to seal upon their 
consciences the par don of sin, to assure them of a future 
resurrection, and prepare them for a life of everlasting blessed- 
?iess. Let us review these three parts of this Apostolic 
Creed, and observe the necessary reference they have- to 
morality. 

The first article of this creed informs us, that there is 
an All-powerful God, who is the Creator- of all things in 
Heaven and in earth. It is evident, that no man can 

renounce this doctrine, without renouncing natural religion 
*nd plunging headlong into atheism. If there is no God, 
there can be no divine Law ; and morality becomes a mere 
insignificant term. Human laws may, indeed, restrain the 
wretch, who indulges a persuasion of this nature ; but, was 
it not for the authority of such laws, he would throw off the - 
mask of decency, and laugh at the distinction between 
virtue and vice. 

If you admit, with Epicurus, the Being of a God, with- 
out admitting an over-ruling providence; if you| believe not, 
that the Creator is an All-powerful Parent, and, as such, 
peculiarly attentive to the concerns of his immense family ; 
you then destroy all confidence in the Supreme Being : you 
take from the righteous their chief consolation in adversity, 
and from the wicked their chief restraining curb in 
prosperity. 

H h Mutilate 



362 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Mutilate this important doctrine, by admitting only a 
general providence, and you destroy the particular confidence, 
which holy men indulge, that God dispenses to his children, 
according to his unsearchable wisdom, both prosperity and 
adversity ; that he listens to their supplications, and will 
finally deliver them out of all their afflictions. You trample 
under foot the most powerful motives to resignation and 
patience; you nourish discontent in the heart, and scatter 
the seeds of despair among the unfortunate. Yet all this is 
done by many inconsistent advocates for morality. 

Heathens themselves were perfectly convinced, that the 
practice of morality was closely connected with the above- 
mentioned doctrines. Cicero, in his book concerning the 
nature of the Gods, seems to have apprehended, that the 
whole edifice of morality would fall to the ground, was the 
docirine of a particular providence to be taken away. 
*' For," says he, " if the Gods observed not what is 
" transacted here below, what would become of religion 
" and holiness, without which human life would be re- 
" plete with trouble and confusion ? I am persuaded, that 
" in banishing the fear of the Gods, we should, at the same 
<e time, banish from among us good faith, justice, and all 
4i those other virtues, which are considered as forming the 
" basis of society." 



CHAP. VI. 

The Connexion of Morality ivith the second Part of the Apostles? 

Creed. 

JL HE doctrines, adverted to in the latter part of the pre- 
-ceding chapter, compose the religion of theists, who believe 
in God> as Creator and Preserver, but who know him not, 
as the Restorer of fallen man. They, however, who give 
their unfeigned assent to the first part of this Creed, will 
never contentedly rest at the threshold of truth. After duly 
attending to the blessings of creation and preservation, they 
will readily perceive how destitute they are of that love, 
that gratitude, and that obedience, which are so justly due 
to the Author of all their mercies. Hence, gradually dis- 
covering 



THE PORTRAIT 0F ST. PAUL. 363 

covering that, even with respect to their neighbour, they 
are void of that justice and charity, which should be mutu- 
ally exercised between man and man, they will humbly 
acknowledge their transgressions, and begin to apprehend 
those mysterious truths, by which the christian religion is 
distinguished from deism. 

In our ancient confessions of faith, no mention is made 
of the misery and depravity of man. For what need was 
there to make so melancholy a truth an article of faith, 
since it has been publicly demonstrated in every age and 
country, by the conduct of all classes of men ? To deny, 
that indisputable evidences of this truth are every day to be 
met with, is to deny that there are in the world, prisons, 
gibbets, soldiers, fields of blood, and beds of death. 

If we give up the doctrine of the fall, and, of conse- 
quence, that of the restoration, we give the lie to the 
general experience of mankind, as well as to that of our own 
hearts ; we shut our eyes against the light of conviction ; we 
cast away, in the midst of a labyrinth, the only clue that can 
guide us through its winding mazes. And, after such an 
act of folly, we shall, either with infidel philosophers, dis- 
dain to implore the assistance of the Supreme Being ; or, 
like the haughty pharisee, we shall approach him with 
insolence. 

If, in direct opposition to the doctrine of our depravity, 
we affirm, that all things are good, and the human species as- 
free from imperfection as the Almighty at first intended ; we 
then neglect the only probable means of overcoming sin, 
and obstinately endeavour to preclude all possibility of our 
restoration. Thus, by persuading a loathsome leper, that 
his malady is both convenient and becoming, we teach him 
to despise the most efficacious remedies, and leave him a 
deluded prey to deformity and corruption. But if it be 

once admitted, that we are immersed in sin, without the 
least possibility of restoring ourselves to a state of inno- 
cence ; we have, then, some degree of that humility, Which 
disposed St. Paul to embrace a persecuted Savior, and by 
which alone we can be prevailed upon,, to embrace the 
second part of this sacred Creed. 

To reject that which respects, either the Conception, the 

H h 2 Birth, 



•>6-fc THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Birih, the Sufferings, the Death* the Resurrection, or the 
Ascension of Jesus. Christ, is to reject every thing that con- 
cerns this condescending Savior; since it is one and the same 
Gospel, that instructs us in all these different doctrines. To 
remove one of these doctrines, is to break the chain of evan- 
gelical truth, by destroying one of the links of which it is 
composed; it is ultimatel> to deny the authority of Reve- 
lation, if not absolutely to overthrow that grand edifice, of 
which Jesus Christ is the chief Corner-stone. In a word, 

as the doctrine of our Redemption, by a crucified Savior, is 
rejected either wholly or in part ; so we reject either in part 
or altogether, the most constraining motives to repentance 
and gratitude, obedience and purity. 

Ah unholy course of conduct proceeds from two princi- 
pal causes, pride, and the rebellion of the senses : from the 
former, arises the disorder of our irascible passions ; and 
from the latter, proceed all our irregular desires. Now, 
before these evils can be perfectly remedied, or the unholy 
become truly virtuous, it is necessary to eradicate pride from 
the heart, and to subdue the irregular appetites of our 
degenerate nature. This is undoubtedly the most difficult 
task to be accomplished in 'life : but what is impracticable 
U; ihe incredulous deist, becomes actually possible to the 
sincere believer;- By the example of his persecuted Mas- 
ter, he is animated to trample upon all the pride of life ; and 
upon the cross of his dying Lord he is crucified to the sen- 
M;a! delights of ihe present world. Take my yoke upon you, 
says the blessed Jesus, and learn of me : for I am meek, and 
lowly in heart (a). Christ hath suffered for us, continues St. 
Pct^r, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps 
f.h). Let the same mind be in you, adds St. Paul, which was 

also 

* Here is no m enti on made of cur Lord's descent into He!/, because 
the expression itself is an equivocal one ; the greek word Hcies^ by 110 
ineaus answering to the english word Hell. St. Paul was ever ready to 
make mention of every thing, that respected his divine Master j. but 
where he speaks (?Hris Deatk and iRitiumxtiah, he is not observed even to 
hint ct this singular doctrine: and if, by omitting it in this piace, we 
are judged guilty of a capital error, the great Apostle himself was 
» ,<;uiUy in this respect, see Kom. iv. 23. viii. 34. 1 Cor. xv. 4. 

But if St. Paul and the four Evang&lisis have made no mention of this 
extraordinary circumstance, it cannot certainly be considered as a fun« 

teatal article of the christian faith. 

(a) Malt xi. 29. (b) 1 Pet ii. 21. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. HAUL. 36^ 

ulso in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, voluntarily 
took upon him the form of a servant, and became obedient unto 
the death of the Cross (c). 

It is necessary to be well acquainted with the human 
heart, and accurately to observe the influence that example 
has upon mankind, in order to understand the great advan- 
tage which christians have over deists r even allowing the 
morality of both parties to be equally pure. What is there, 
of which those persons are not capable, who follow the 
King of Kings, encouraged by his example and supported 
by his power ? Thus supported, no command will appear 
too strict to be obeyed, no burden too heavy to be sustain- 
ed : but we may joyfully triumph, like the first imitators of 
Jesus, over that innate pride, and those sensual desires, upon 
which the incredulous continually striking, as upon dan- 
gerous rocks, make shipwreck of all their boasted morality. 

The last article, recounted in this part of our Creed, 
must be supposed to have a prodigious influence upon the 
minds of men. Take away the doctrine of a judgment 

day, in which an infinitely holy and powerful God will 
render unto every man according to his works ; you then 
take from the wicked those salutary fears, which restrain 
them in the career of vice, and from the r.ghteous those 
glorious hopes, which are the strongest incentives to a life 
of godliness.. 



CHAP, VII. 

The Connexion of Morality with the third Pun of the Apostle?* 
Creed. 

JL HE first article, in the third part of this ancient confes- 
sion of faith, respects the confidence which every believer 
indulges in the divine grace, or rather in that Holy Spirit, 
which sanctifies the sinful and consoles the afflicted. If, by 
an obstinate incredulity, we reject this sacred Comforter ; 
we refuse the wisdom and power, which result from an in- 
timate union with the Father of lights, and disclaim all 

H h 3 fellowship 

(c) Phil. ii. 5, 8, 



S$6 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. FAUL. 

fellowship with that divine Mediator, whose humanity is far 
removed from the sight of men, As we could derive no 

possible advantage from a Sun, whose rays, concentered in 
nimself, should neither visit our eyes with their cheering 
light, nor pur bodies with their kindly heat; so, if the 
Almighty neither illumines our minds by the Spirit of truth, 
nor animates our souls by the Spirit of charity, we may 
reasonably suppose him to have as little interest in the con- 
cerns of men, as the statue of Olympian Jupiter. 

The remainder of this Creed, respects the nature of the 
Church, and the privileges of its members. 

To destroy the doctrines, which relate to the holiness of 
those who truly appertain to the church of God, the uni- 
versality of that Church, and the communion of those saints , of 
whom it is composed ; — this is to overthrow the barriers, 
vi hie!) form the pale of the Church, confounding the holy 
with the profane, and the sincere with the hypocritical. 

Take away the doctrine, that respects the remission of 
sins, and you leave us in a state of the most cruel uncer- 
tainty. You take away, from penitents, the expectation 
that sustains them ; and, from believers, the gratitude that 
engages them to love much, because much has been forgiven 
ihem (a). You destroy the most powerful motive we have 
to pardon the offences of our neighbour (b), and leave us in 
a state of solicitude incompatible with that internal -peace; 
which is the peculiar privilege of christians (c). 

Rob us of the doctrine of a future resurrection, and you 
leave us weak in times of clanger, alarmed in times of sick- 
ness, and wholly in bondage to the fear of death. But* 
while we remain in possession of this exhilarating truth, ws 
can follow* without fear, the standard of the cross; the 
most cruel torments are rendered tolerable ; and we can 
submit, without repining, to a temporary death, looking for- 
ward to a glorious resurrection and a happy immortality. 



CHAP, 
(a) Luke vii. 4-7. (b) Epfe it, 32. (-c) John xiv. 27. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 367 

CHAP. VIII. ' 

Consequences of the foregoing Qhsewaiions. 



A: 



IX crimes are founded upon errors, which first mislead 
the understanding, before they influence the conduct. 
Overthrow these errors, by opposing to them pure and in- 
controvertible doctrines, and you destroy sin in the bud. On 
the other hand, true virtue is produced by truth. Oppose 
a lie to this truth ; and, if it be admitted, you destroy the 
seeds of virtue. So long as the first man had his heart pe- 
netrated with the certainty of this doctrine > If I am un- 
grateful enough to disobey my Creator, I shall die ; so long he 
remained in a state of innocence. But to this doctrine the 
tempter opposed his false promises. You shall not surely 
die, said he; on the contrary, you shall become wise and 
happy as Gods. No sooner were these delusive doctrines 
assented to on the part of Adam, but his understanding be- 
coming necessarily clouded, his will was immediately be- 
guiled : and thus, blindly following the temptation, he fell 
into arr abyss of misery. 

Doctrines, whether they be good or bad, still continue 
to have the same influence upon the conduct of men ; and 
to suppose the contrary, is to suppose, that light and dark- 
ness can ever cease to produce their ordinary effects. The 
following doctrine, Out of the pale of the Romish church there 
is no salvation, has filled Europe with fires, scaffolds, and 
massacres. Eradicate this doctrine from every prejudiced 
heart, and plant in its room the following scriptural truth, 
God is no respecter of persons ; but, in every nation, he that, 
feareth him and worketh righteousness is accepted with him; 
and, in the place of streaming blood, we shall see streams 
of charity uninterruptedly flowing through every christian 
kingdom . 

The miser imagines, that riches are the sovereign good, 
and that the highest pleasure consists in counting over. and 
over his splendid hoards. The debauched youth is confi- 
dent, that the sovereign good consists in sensual gratification, 
and the highest gratification, in the enjoyment of a frail 
beauty destined to be the prey of worms. Destroy these 
groundless persuasions by solid doctrines i demonstrate 

to 



36S THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

to these infatuated creatures, that God himself is the -sove- 
reign good, and that this good is offered to us in Jesus Christ ; 
that the highest enjoyment consists in having the heart 
penetrated with divine love, and in looking forward with a 
lively hope of being one day eternally united to God : con- 
vince them of these momentous truths, and the charms, by 
which they have been captivated so long, will be immedi- 
ately broken, Ah ! how delightful is it, to behold such 
sensual reasoners awaking from their death ful slumber, and 
crying out, with St. Augustine : " O eternal sweetness ! 
"Ineffable greatness ! Beauty for ever new L Truth, whose 
a charms have been so long unnoticed ; alas, how much 
<( time have I lost, in not loving thee V* 

Sound reason must unavoidably submit to the force of 
these observations, the truth of which is demonstrated bv 
the general conduct of mankind* But, perhaps, the best 
method of reasoning with the incredulous, is to point out 
the consequences of their own system. Imagine a man, 
who, instead of receiving the doctrines of the Gospel, 
publicly presumes to make the following declaration ; / be- 
lieve not in God the Creator ; J trust not in any Mediator, nor 
acknowledge any sanctifying Spirit. And, as I believe not in 
God, so 1 believe not in what his called his church ; nor do I 
look upon the communion of those who worship him, in any 
other light, than that of a mere chimera. I believe not in the 
remission of sins. I look for no resurrection, nor indulge any 
hope of everlasting life. Let us eat and drink ; for to-morrow 
we die. Was any man seriously to repeat in your hearing 
such a confession of his faith, would you fix upon such a 
one for the management of your estate? would you entrust 
him with the charge of your wife, or chuse him for the 
guardian of your children? Would it be possible for you to 
depend upon his word, or confide in his honesty? Now, 
imagine this very infidel, in some future season, convinced 
of his former errors, and firmly persuaded, that he acts un- 
der the eye of an omniscient God, who will bring every 
work into judgment, with every secret thing (a). Suppose him 
smiting upon his breast with the penitent publican, and 
determining with St. Paul, to know nothing among men, 
save Jesus Christ, and him crucified (b). Would you not 
indulge a better opinion of this man, in his believing state, 

than 
(a) Eccles. xii. 14. (b) 1 Cor. ii. 2. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 369 

than when he rejected, with modern philosophers, the 
doctrines of Christianity r Jt could not possibly be otherwise. 
So true it is, that in certain cases, your conduct wiil give 
the lie to your arguments, against the utility of doctrines. 

J. J. Rousseau professes to have hated iad maxims less 

than evil actions; when, as a wise man, he should have 
detested the former as the cause of the latter. It is not suf- 
ficient, that we profess to make the principles of virtue the 
ground of our conduct, unless that basis be established upon 
an immoveable foundation. Without attending to this rule, 
we resemble those .Indians, who suppose the world to be 
founded upon the back of an elephant, while that elephant 
is supported by the shell of a tortoise ; and who, perfectly 
satisfied with such a discovery, attempt not to understand 
any more of the matter. 

A system of morality, how beautiful soever it may ap- 
pear, unless it be supported by doctrines of the utmost con- 
sistency and firmness, may be compared to a splendid palace, 
erected upon the sands: in some unexpected storm, it will 
assuredly be swept away, proving, at once, the disgrace of 
its builder, and the ruin of its inhabitant. 






CHAP. IX. 
An Appeal to Experience. 

JJjXPERILXCE goes far in the decision of many difficult 
questions, and before it the most subtile sophism cannot 
long maintain its ground. To this, therefore, we cheerfully 
appeal for the happy effects of the Gospel. Ye incredulous 
sages of the day, shew us a single enemy to the doctrines of 
revelation, who may truly be called a humble man, con- 
ducting himself soberly, justly* and religiously, in all the 
trying circumstances of lite. Through the whole circle of 
}our infidel acquaintance, you will seek such a one in vain. 

It it be said, that J. J. Rousseau, though a professed 
sceptic, presented us with the portrait of a perfectly honest 
man : We answer, in the first place, that J 3 J. Rousseau 
rejected not the Gospel, as an obstinate enemy ; but rather 

counted 



370 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

counted it an affliction, that he was unable to embrace its 
doctrines : and secondly, that this philosopher was equally 
destitute of humility and religion. 

It must be confessed, that there are multitudes of incon- 
sistent persons in the world, who constantly deceive them- 
selves, and who frequently delude others, by their fallacious 
notions of faith and incredulity. We meet with many, who, 
while they rank themselves in the number of believers, are 
usually employed in the works of infidels : and, on the other 
hand, we observe divers penitent worshippers, who, through 
an excess of humility, account themselves no better than 
infidels, while they manifest in their conduct the fidelity of 
christians. But these particular exceptions are insufficient 
to -destroy the general rule here contended for : since the for- 
mer must be looked upon as believers, and the latter as in- 
fidels, only in appearance. The first have not sincerity 
enough to acknowledge their incredulity : and the last have 
not light sufficient to determine their exact advancement in 
the christian faith. The latter deserve our pity, while the 
former merit our indignation. 

But turn your eyes upon an enlightened believer. Be- 
hold St. Paul, after his memorable submission to the perse- 
cuted Jesus ! The love of God possesses his soul, and he 
consecrates all his powers to the service of his exalted Mas- 
ter. Appointed to instruct the ignorant, he discharges his 
important commission with indefatigable zeal. Carrying to 
the afflicted both spiritual and temporal succours, he appears 
to be borne from east to west, as upon the wings of an eagles 
He is ready to spend and be spent, for the common interests 
of mankind. He proves his fidelity and gratitude to Christ, 
at the hazard of his life. His magnanimity and fortitude, 
his resignation and patience, his generosity and candor, 
his benevolence and constancy, are, at once, the amaze- 
ment of his enemies, and the glory of his followers. Behold 
this converted pharisee, and acknowledge the wondrous 
efficacy of evangelical doctrines. 

Ye slaves of philosophical prejudice ! how long will you 
mistake the nature of doctrines so happily adapted to humble 
supercilious man ; so perfectly calculated to destroy both 
presumption and despair ; to bend the most hardened under 
the tender pressure of mercy, and carry up grateful be- 
lievers 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 371 

iievers to the sublimest summit of virtue ? They dispel the 
mists of ignorance, they destroy the seeds of injustice, they 
extinguish irregular desire, and open in the heart a source 
of universal charity ! Thus, the multitude of them, that for- 
merly believed, were of one heart and one soul ; &c. Enjoying 
together the sovereign good, it was not possible for them to 
contend with each other for the trifling enjoyments of time 
and sense. God had given them his only- begotten Son; 
how then could they refuse any thing to their indigent 
brethren ! 

Long after St. Luke had borne testimony to the unexam- 
pled charity of christians, we find Tertullian citing the fol- 
lowing testimony, which his heathen cotemporaries were 
constrained to bear in favor of the same christian virtue. 
Behold, say they, how these christians love, and are prepared 
to die for each other! Yes, adds this celebrated christian fa- 
ther, We who have but one heart and one soul, are not afraid 
to have one purse. Among us all things are common, except our 
wives (a). 

If the testimony here produced should be disregarded, 
because drawn from the writings of a professed advocate 
for Christianity ; we will readily come to another test. Pliny 
bears witness to the pure conversation of the persecuted 
christians of his time. And the Emperor Julian himself, 
one of the most enlightened, as well as implacable enemies 
of Christianity, exhorted his heathen subjects to practise 
among themselves the duties of charity, after the example 
of christians, Who abound, saith he, in acts of benevolence. 
And as to the joy, with which they sacrificed their lives, 
when occasion so required : They go , continues he, to death, 
as bees swarm to the hive. Such influence have the doctrines 
of our holy religion upon the conduct of its sincere pro- 
fessors, even by the confession of their inveterate enemies. 

It appears then, that St. Paul was employed like. an 
experienced moralist, while he was engaged in erecting the 
sacred edifice of morality upon the solid foundation of evan- 
gelical truths. And the doctrines he made choice of, as 

peculiarly 

(«) Vide, inquiutit [gentes] ut [isti christian]] invicem se diligunt, et 
utpro alterutro mori sunt parati. — Qui animo animaque miscemur, nihil 
de vei communicatkme dubitamus. Omnia indisereta sunt apud nos, 
praeter uxores* Apologeticus, chap. 39, 






372 THE, PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL* 

peculiarly suited to this purpose, were thosa which respect 
the mercy of God in Christ Jesus. Upon these he laid the 
greatest stress, and from these -he drew the most persuasive 
arguments to virtue and piety. Witness that memorable 
exhortation delivered to his Roman converts — / beseech 
you, brethren s by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies 
a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your 
reasonable service (b). 

To withhold from ■ the .degenerate this cheering truth, 
that they are bought with a price (c), is to deny them one of 
the most powerful motives to love and glorify God in their 
bodies and in their souls, which appertain to him by the en- 
dearing right of redemption, as well as by that original right 
of creation, to which they are generally rendered insensible 
by the afflictions and disappointments of life. Instruct 
them concerning the sanctity of the divine Law ; set before 
them the guilt of their innumerable offences ; and the just 
fears, to which such discoveries must naturally give rise, 
will make existence itself an intolerable burden. But when 
the Gospel of ourredemption begins to dissipate their doubts, 
and allay the anguish of their remorse, they will be enabled 
to go rejoicing on their way, through the strictest paths of 
obedience and moralitv. 



CHAP. X. 

An Objection answered, which may be drawn from the ill Conduct 
of unholy Christians, to prove the Inutility of the Doctrines of 
the Gospel. 

\ HEY, who exalt philosophy against revelation, imagine, 
that to invalidate the preceding reflections, they need only 
make the following reply : All christians receive the Apostles* 
Creed ; but their faith is, in general, unattended with the happy 
effects you have been recounting. Crimes of every kind are com* 
mitted by the disciples of Jesus ; and their doctrines, instead of 
producing charity, engender little else beside dispute and persecu- 
tion. The serious nature of this objection demands a 
suitable reply. , 

■A true 
(b) Ron), xii. 1. (e) 1 Cor. vi. 20: ' — 



THE FOT* TRAIT OF ST. P&UX. SJfj 

A true christian was never known to be a persecutor. 
The cruel disputes, which have arisen among faiihiess 
christians, have not necessarily sprung from the nature of 
scriptural doctrines, but rather from the pFide of those tyran- 
nical doctors, who have contended for their particular ex* 
plications of such doctrines. To insinuate, then, that 

the doctrines of the Gospel should be utterly rejected, 
because some churchmen have taken occasion From them to 
stir up vehement contests, would be scarcely less absurd, 
than to contend that anarchy is to be preferred before an 
excellent code of laws, because unprincipled lawyers are 
accustomed to foment strife, and have ii always in their 
power to protract a cause. As to the extravagant explica- 
tions, which the subtilty or power of men has substituted m 
the place of evangelical doctrines, they can no more be said 
to prove the falsity or unprofitableness of such doctrines, 
than the detested policy of tyrants can weaken the force ol 
that apostolic precept, Let every soul be subject u.tiQ the higher 
powers (a). But let us come to the main knot 01 th>j 
difficulty. 

They, who have unfeigned!}- embraced the doctrines of 
Christ, far from committing a variety of crimes, have carried 
every virtue to a degree of perfection, stirpassii g almost the 
conception of other men. Rousseau and Montesquieu ac r 
knowledge, that even in those countries, where the Gospel 
has but imperfectly taken root, rebellions have been les^ fre- 
quent than in other places. The same acknowledgment 
must be made, bv every unprejudiced observer, with regard 
to vices of every kind. Many offences, it must be owned, 
are every where common among the professors of Christian- 
ity : but these offences would have been abundantly more 
frequent, if antichr istian philosophers had been ahle'to take 
from such professors the little respect they still retain for a 
revealed Gospel. Moreover, there are many rare virtues 
which chiefly flourish in secret: and they, who deserve the 
name of christians, might astonish incredulity itself, had not 
Christ commanded them to perform their best services in so 
private a manner, that the left hand might not know how 
the right was engaged. 

Nothing can be mere unjust than to tmeute thoseef-ils 

I i tu 

{■?.) Rom. xY\\. I. 



374 TH£ PORTRAIT 6* ST. PA*TL. 

to tjie christian religion, ^which evidently flow from incredu- 
lity and superstition, fanaticism and hypocrisy. Jesus 
Christ requires of his followers an ardent love, both to Go© 
and man ; such a love as was exemplified in the whole of 
his own conduct through Jife, The incredulous deny, ei ther 
wholly or in part, the debt of grateful love, which the innu- 
merable mercies of God impose upon them : since while 
the atheist refuses to acknowledge him as the Creator and 
Preserver of man, the deist rejects him as the author of our 
redemption and sanctific&tion. The superstitious, indeed, ac- 
knowledge these immense debts ; but they pretend to pay 
ihem with idle ceremonies, and «vain repetitions of tedious 
forms. The fanatic attempts ib discharge them with un- 
fruitful fervors, and the hypocrite with studied grimace. 
But these errors cannot reasonably be con side red in com- 
mon with our lioly religion, which exposes and condemns 
them all. 

The life of a christian, so called, must necessarily be- 
come pure, when he is actually possessed of christian faith, 
i. e. when he is strongly persuaded, that he walks in the 
presence of the Almighty, who, being his father by Creation, 
becomes so in a still more affectionate and effectual manner, 
by the mysterious exertions of his redeeming and sanctifying 
grace. These three astonishing operations of the Supreme 
-Being, are undoubtedly three grand evidences of his love to 
man, and must be considered as so many abundant sources 
of christian charity, among the members of his church. 
Hence, tiie man, who acknowledges but one of these proofs, 
cannot possibly be united either to his brethren, or to his 
God, with so ardent an affection, as he who admits and ex- 
periences all the three. The divine charity, here spoken 
of, is produced in the heart by means of faith, and from it 
proceeds every social virtue, with every praise-worthy 
action. 

All this is conformable hoth to reason and experience. A 
weak subject will fear to disobey a powerful king, whose 
eye is actually fixed upon him : at least, so long as the sub- 
ject is penetrated with this thought, The King observes me. 
A son will never exalt himself against a good father, white 
he believes that his father, in every possible sense, is good 
with respect to him. Brethren, who cordially acknowledge 

each 



THE PORTRAIT GF ST. PAUL. 375 

each olher as such, will not. dare to abuse one another in the 
presence of a father, who is infinitely powerful : and while 
he leads them to take possession of a kingdom, which his r 
generosity has divided among them, they will not threaten 
to murder each other, under the eyes of their parent, for' 
the possession of any little enjoyment that presents itself upon 
the road. The sons of Jacob had never sold their brother 
Joseph, if they had been firmly persuaded, that Israel would, 
one day discover their crime : and they would have con- 
ceived the greatest horror, had they, really believed that their 
Heavenly Father was present at the impious transaction, 
resolving to call them, at some future season, to a severe 
account, in the face of the world. A faith, which has no 
influence upon the conduct, is^ no other than the faith of 
hypocrites, upon whom our Lord denounces the most ter- 
rible judgments, threatening them with everlasting banish- 
ment from his presence, into that outer darkness, where shall 
be weeping, and vjaili/ig, and gnashing of teeth. I wilt, skew 
thee my faith, saith St. James, by my worfo (b). If any ?nan 
say, continues St. John, I believe in God, 1 love God, and 
hateik his brother, he is a liar (c). The same principles, 
which in the present moment gain the ascendency in man, 
give rise to the words and actions of* the. moment : and 
hence that saying of the Apostle, Whosoever abidcth in Jam, 
[Christ} sinnetk not : whosoever siwiejh, hatfi not seen, hiw^ 
through the medium, of a true and lively faith (,d). 

If there are found professors of Christianity, in whom tkg 
truths of the Gospel have failed to produce: at fasby eonvccsaM 
tioii-5, we. may take it for granted, that suek persons are 
infidels, in disguise,, and totally unacquainted with the Gospel, 
except it be in theory. The faitn, which i&. common to 
these nominal christians, is purely speculative, not differing 
less from the solid faith of a true believer, than a sun upon 
canvas* differs from that, which spreads light and heat 
among surrounding worlds. As a plant cannot be nourish- 
ed by. the superficial application of strange sap to its rind, 
but by a sap peculiar to its own nature, which, flowing be- 
neath its bark, penetrates, elivens, and nourishes ev^iy part 
of the plant: so the conduct of a man cannot possibly be 
reformed by notions or docrines collected from books ; but 

I i 2 bv 

(p) James ii. 18, (c) 1 John iv. 20, (d) 1 John iii. 6, 



S7tl THE P0KTRA1T OF ST. PAUL. 

by those, which, penetrating beyond his judgment, insmoaie 
themselves into his heart, and become incorporated with 
his very being. 

This answer cannot justly be regarded as a vain subter- 
fuge. To be convinced of its solidity, it will be sufficient to 
consider how the soul is affected according to the different 
degrees of any impression that is made upon it. While 
Jacob was still lamenting the supposed death of Joseph. 
.Reuben informed him, that his beloved son was yet alive, 
and enjoying the second place of dignity in Egypt. These 
tidings, at first, appeared delusive to the good old man, 
who was no otherwise affected by them, than by some ex- 
travagant relation. But when the affirmations of Reuben 
were seconded by the joint testimony of his other sons, his 
earnest attention was immediately excited, his incredulity 
was gradually overcome, and his fainting heart began to 
revive. The waggons and presents of Joseph now ap- 
pearing, in confirmation of his childrens' report, his doubts 
"were entirely dissipated : My sojj } cried he, is yet alive I I 
ivill go and see him, before I die. This animating persuasion, 
Joseph is yet alive, seemed to restore the languishing patri- 
arch to all the vigor of former years. He renounced a 
terrestrial Canaan;* he turned his back upon the tombs of 
Isaac and Rachel; and, with all the courage of youth, set 
forward to embrace his newly discovered son in Egypt. 
So certain it is, that a truth, in which we are deeply inte- 
rested, will change, in some degree, our very nature, and 
modify the soul itself. 

Thus the Gospel of God our Savior affects every true 
believer. And why should Egypt have greater charms 
than Heaven? Or, why should an invitation from the vir- 
tuous son of R ?chel have greater weight, than that which 
r ' mes from the divine Son of Mary? Were the fruits, 
v. hich Joseph sent his father, to be preferred before those of 
the Spirit, with which Christ replenishes his favored 
Israel (e) ** Or, did the dissembling sons of Jacob merit 
greater credit, than the Apostles of our exalted Lord, though 
seconded by that noble army of martyrs, who have sealed 
vs. itli their blood the truths o\ the Gospel? Alas! if the 
fundamental dootrir.es of this Gospel, (for we speak not 

here 

(e) Gal. v. it; 23.. 



TH£ PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 377 

here of those human additions, by which it is too frequently 
disfigured and weakened) had but deeply penetrated oul 
bouts; we should bear testimony, by our conduct, to the 
truth of the following assertion — If any man be indeed a 
christian, he is a new creature - r old things- a& passed aivay ^ &IP 
t/ungs are became neiv (f). r 

But why should we go back to the times of Jacob, 
to prove that doctrines have an influence upon the conduct 
of men, in proportion io the degree of faith with which 
they are received ? Let us return and cast a retrospective 
view upon the various circumstances of our own life ; if 
we have at any time felt a lively persuasion of the truth of 
the Gospel. It, at our first approaching the sacramental 
table, or after hearing some pathetic sermon, we have really 
believed, tha£ God toae in- Christ r€&&)ieiMng the wortd itntch 
himself (g), and promising his peop!e> in return fo? thek 
temporary labors, everlasting rewards ;- — hare we not, at 
snerr a moment perceived the love of God and maa 
spsmging" up in our hearts * Now, if this partial persuasion 
bad spread kself through the whole sottf^ would not! our 
ctevtrtion, olh* hwmJity, and our charity, have been carried 
to a much- higher degree of perfection, than we have 
hkfeesto experienced i Would not eur good works of every 
ki«d f Have been abundantly more excellent and numerous^ 
tkat* we can now possibly pretend to £ 

On* the other hand, let us look back to trie days of 
youth, and we shall recollect a time, in which the doctrines 
of the Gospel began to lose the little influence they had 
ome ajaratakved Over oar c^dtict : we sfmil 1 remember, 
a* least, when the Iker^ioas principles of worldly men, and 
tbe felse maxims &t m&lel pbik^pfreys, first insinuated 
themselves into* ou# yielding hearts, And have we not 
sinee that time experienced, tnaf the sffktest connexion 
so&sists- between those PftoeimS and immorality ? Have we 
net,, frevm that unhappy period, become niere debauched in 
sentiment, less chains }>eef in- our out-ward behavior, &nd 
more disposed to trample upon the principles of natural 
religion,- as well as upon evangelical precepts? From 

these observations, we shall proceed to draw the following 
inferences. 

I i 3 I. If 

(T)<2C)y. v. 17. (g)2Cor. v. 19, 



S78 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

1. If morality may be compared to a tree, whose fruit 
is (or the nourishment of mankind, true doctrines may be 
con c idered as the roots of this tree. Take away those 
doctrines, under _ pretence that they embarrass morality; 
and you ridiculously cut away the. roots of this sacred plant, 
jest they, should prove an impediment to its rising per- . 
feci ion. Now he, who thus seeks the pure morality of the 
Gospel by reprobating evangelical doctrines, would act, 
consistently with his principles, was he to plant his orchards 
with trees deprived of their roots, in order that they might 
produce the more excellent fruit. 

2. As, in the vegetable kingdom, fruits are nourished 
and matured by that vegetative energy, which draws the sap 
from the root, refining, and distributing it among the several 
branches: so, in the^g^Fal world, charity and good works 
can only be produced by that living faith, which first 
receives the doctrines of truth, and then becomes a kind of 
vehicle to their invigorating virtue. This faith was rightly 
characterized by Christ and his Apostles, when they repre- 
sented it as the grace, by which we are principally saved ;~ 
since this grace alone is capable of producing in us that 
lively hope, that ardent charity, and that universal obedience, 
which will ever distinguish the believer from the infideL 
He, therefore, who declaims against this scriptural faiths 
whether he be a novice, or a philosopher, indirectly pleads, 
the cause of vice, and gives sufficient proof of. his spiritual, 



ignorance/ 



3. From what has been advanced, we may infer the 
necessity of avoiding the mistake of the gnostics, on the one 
hand ; and the error of incredulous sages on the other : the 
former of whom, contending for a speculative faith, salute 
Christ as their Lord> though they refuse to obey hi& 
commands ; while the latter, holding faith in the utmost 
derision, and depending upon their own power for the 
performance of every good work, pollute, by unworthy, 
motives, the most excellent of their actions, 

CHAP, 



A: 



T«E FOKTPAIT OF ST. PAUL. 579 

CHAP. XL 
The same Subject continued, 



S the little effect produced by the doctrines of the 
Gospel upon the lives of christians so called has given great 
offence to many ; it becomes us here to enquire into the 
causes of this grand evil. 

The doctrines, which distinguish Christianity from 
theism, have this peculiarity, that' no man can possibly re* 
ceive them, unless he has first sincerely embraced the doc- 
trines of theism. He must believe in God, before he can 
believe in Christ; he must have the sincerity of an honest 
heathen, before he comes to the possession of christian 
charitv. It is usual with the whole multitude of outward 
professors to cry out, in their public services ; We believe in 
Jesus Christ : We believe in the Holy Ghost: &c. though 
their faith, it may be, is not equal to that of devils, who 
believe in the existence of a rewarding and avenging God, 
with sincerity sufficient to make them tremble before him, 
These hypocrites can no more be said to believe, from the 
heart, the latter articles of the Apostles' Creed, than those 
children, who are yet unacquainted with the alphabet, may 
be said to have perused and digested the most profound 
authors. The doctrines of the Gospel must necessarily 
appear both useless and absurd to those, whose faith, in 
God is not sufficient to penetrate them with a holy fear : 
for as we cannot arrive at manhood without first passing 
through the state of infancy ; so we cannot cordially re- 
ceive the latter part of the Apostles' Creed, till we have 
first embraced the former part by a lively and stedfast faith, 
Why did Caiaphas refuse to believe in Christ ? Because he 
was but an hypocrite with respect to the Jewish faith. On 
the contrary, why did Cornelius the centurion so readily 
believe {, It. was, undoubtedly, because the sincerity of his 
faith in God had prepared his heart for the reception of 
faith in Christ. Every man, saith this divine Savior, thai 
hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, comet h unto me (a). 
Ye who believe in God, believe also in me : and J xv ill pray the 
Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, even the 
Spirit of truth (b). 

These 
(a) John vi. 45; (b) John xiv. 1, 16, 17* 



330 THE PORTRAIT tfF ST. PAUL. 

These fundamental doctrines compose the ladder of evan- 
gelical truth, in which he, who takes offence at any single 
step, runs a double hazard ; that of ascending no higher, 
and even that of falling from the step, where he has obsti- 
nately determined to take up his rest. He that doeth truth, 
cometh to the light (c) ; but he that refuses the first truths, 
places himself beyond the possibility of receiving those, 
which are of a more sublime nature. If he has not first 
observed the dawn of the Gospel day, he can never con- 
template our divine Sun, when shining in his meridian 
brightness. 

The articles of the christian faith may be compared to 
a course of geometrical propositions, the last of which 
always suppose a perfect knowledge of the first. To re- 
quire of spiritual infant? any high and important acts 4 of 
faith- in Jesus Christ, or in the Holy Spirit, before they are 
taught to entertain just notions of the Suprerrie Being, 
would be equally unreasonable, as for a m&n to pretend,, 
that it is possible to make a good geometrician of an 
ignorant peasant, by instructing him to repeat the terms of 
EucIidV last propositions, without ever bringing him to a 
true understanding of the first. If, then, the generality* ©£ 
christians are contented with learning merely to repeat our 
doctrinal terms ; we must expect to see them as far from 
manifesting the virtues of St. Paul, as the superficial peasaM 
from* possessing the solidity ©£ Euelid. 



"w-vvw-vw 



CHAP. XII. 

Oifkr Meas&ns given for the little Influence, which ilie foregoing 
Doctrines are observed to have upon Christians in general. 



p 



ROFITABLY to teach the doctrines of the Gospel, 
there are certain rules necessary to be observed 3 and where 
these rules are either unknown or neglected, the Gospel 
becomes of little importance. 

$4 A true doctrine, in order to have its due effect, must 
be announced with purity. It should neither be mutilated 

by 

fe) Jotmiii. 2K 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL, 361 

nasty contractions, nor corrupted by vain auditions. 
The prince of error equally serves his own interest, by per* 
plexing the truth, as by spreading a falsehood : and when 
errors are added to evangelical truths, those truths may be 
compared to excellent medicines unhappily mingled with 
dangerous poisons. Thus., the doctrine of future punish- 
ments is not only deprived of its utility, but becomes really 
pernicious, by the addition of another doctrine, which 
teaches, that a sum of money left as the price of prayer for a 
departed soul, will effectually soften,, and even terminate its 
pains. 

2. A doctrine should not only be delivered in the purest 
manner ; but they who announce it should study to demon- 
strate its excellency and power, by the whole course of their 
conduct. Were leprous physicians to cry up a specific 
against the leprosy, it cannot be imagined, that lepers, in, 
general, would anxiously adopt a remedy, which had been 
attended with so little effect upon the recom menders of it. 
We here intimate, not without the utmost regret, that too 
many of the clergy destroy the effect of their doctrines, by 
the immorality of their conduct. 

3. It is not sufficient, that these doctrines should be 
preached in their native purity ; but it is equally necessary, 
that they should be preserved in the same purity by those, 
who receive them. Our Lord makes this solemn declaration 
to sinners : Except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish (aj. 
Yet how is it, that many thousand christians who admit this, 
important truth, remain to the present day in a state of iow 
penitence?. It is because they mingle with.it the following 
pernicious error : though. I spend the present ?noment in sin, 
God will assuredly give me grace to repent in the Litter 
part of my -life- Hence that lamentable inattention to the 
Unties of religion which is so universal among us at this day. 

4. To give scriptural doctrines their full effect, it is 
necessary to make them pass from the understanding to the 
will. It would be in vain to procure for a patient the most 
efficacious remedy, if, instead of applying it in the method 
prescribed, he should think it sufficient to touch it with hi^ 
lips, or should content himself vvitii drawing in the grateful 
odor exhaling from it. To such a patient, however, the 

greater 



3S2 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL, 

greater part of christians bear a strict resemblance, who 
speculate upon the Gospel, without ever embracing it with 
that lively faith, ivhich worketh by love (b). 

5. Very frequently the doctrines of the Gospel are at- 
tended with no considerable effect. upon those who admit 
them, because the salutary operation of these truths is coun- 
teracted by the powerful influence of earthly desires in- 
dulged in the heart. Thus, in a disordered stomach, the 
most wholesome food is deprived of its virtue. To remedy 
this evil, it is necessary to enter upon a regimen too severe 
to be regarded by an obstinate patient, and upon the abso- 
lute necessity of which an inattentive physician will not 
peremptorily insist. 

6. Where doctrines of the most humiliating tendency 
Lave not first made a deep impression, there the consolatory 
doctrines of the Gospel tend only to uphold the sinner in a 
course of impiety. Those preachers, who favor the false 
judgment of worldly men, wanting either courage or ex- 
perience wisely to administer the doctrines of the Gospel, so 
that they may alarm the impenitent and console the deject* 
ed; these preachers, instead of eradicating, do but encrease, 
the eviJ we lament. It cannot, indeed, be denied, that 
they offer many sacred truths to the world: but, while they 
d<* not nicely distinguish and apply them to the different 
states of their hearers, as they only draw their bow at a ven- 
lure, it h no wonder that their arrows so frequently fall 
beside the mark. These perplexers of truth contribute as 
little to the conversion of sinners, as a phyhician would con- 
tribute to the recovery of the sick, who, without any prudent 
selection, compounding together all the drug* of an excel- 
lent pharmacopoeia, should indiscriminately offer the same- 
confused recipe to every patient. 

7. The doctrines of Christianity are frequently delivered 
as the opinions of men, rather than as the declarations of 
God, founded upon events much better attested than tire 
most certain historical facts : and to this single error, the 
mefficacy of those doctrines may, in a good degree, be im- 
puted. Were reason and conscience made to walk in the 
front of the Gospel, the want of a Redeemer would bo 
more universally experienced in the world, than it has 

hitherto 
(b) Gal. v. 6. 



THE -PORTRAIT OV ST. PAUL, 3S3 

hitherto been. But vvhiie Ihe preachers of that Gospel 
neglect to assert the depravity of human nature ; or while 
they omit, in confirmation of so melancholy a truth, to make 
the most solemn appeals to the consciences of men ; so long 
we may expect to see their ill-directed labors universally 
unsuccessful. Had these teachers in Israel an experimental 
acquaintance with those truths, upon which they presume 
openly to descant, their word would speedily be attended 
with unusual efficacy; their example would give it weight, 
and, in answer to dieir fervent prayers, the God of all 
grace would set his seal to the truth of the Gospel. 

Whenever the messengers of religious truth shall be- 
come remarkable for the purity of their lives, and the 
fervency of their zeal, their doctrines will soon be attended 
with sufficient influence in the christian world, to overthrow 
the objection we have been here considering, and effectually 
to stop the mouth of every gainsayer. 



CHAP. XIII. 

The Doctrines of Christianity have art obscure Side. The 
Reasons of this Obscurity. The Error of some Philosophers 
in this Respect. 

'jTH E Gospel, says J. J. Rousseau, is accompanied with 
marks of truth, so great, so striking, so perfectly inimitable, 
thai the inventor of it appears -.abundantly more admirable than 
its Hero. But, after all, this Gospel is filled with incredible 
thitigs, with things that are repugnant to reason, and which no 
sensible man can possibly conceive, or admit. Remove all the 
difficulties, continue the admirers of this philosopher, dissi- 
pate all the obscurity ivith which your doctrines are surrounded, 
and we will cheerfully embrace the Gospel. 

Extraordinary things appear always incredible in pro- 
portion to our ignorance. Thus, an ignorant negro of 
Guinea would look upon that man as a deceiver, who 
should assert that, in some parts of the world, the surface 
of rivers become so solid at particular seasons, that, without 
bridge or boat, whole armies may pass them dryshod. And 
it is wel! known > that the doctrine of Antipodes gave no less 
offence to the celebrated geographers of a former age, than 

is 



3 84 t II fc P OR TK Alt OF ST* P A L'T. 

is unhappily given to the deistical sages of modern limes 
by the doctrine of a divine Trinity. 

As We become better acquainted with spiritual things, 
instead of despising the truths df the Gospel as altogether 
incredible, we shall be truly convinced that J. J. Rousseau 
passed the same kind of judgment upon the doctrines of 
Christianity, as a savage might be expected to pass upon 
some late discoveries in natural philosophy. The sciences 
present a hundred difficulties to the minds of young students. 
By entering upon an obscure course, they, at length, attain 
to superior degrees of illumination j but, after all the inde<- 
fatigable labors of the most learned professor, the highest 
knowledge he can possibly acquire, will be mingled with 
darkness and error. If men of wisdom, however, do not lock 
with contempt upon those sciences, which are usually 
taught among us, because all of them are attended with 
difficulties, and most of them are too abstruse to permit a 
thorough investigation ; how absurd would it be in us, for 
these insufficient reasons, to reject that revelation, which 
may be considered as the science of celestial things ? 

To despise the doctrines of the .Gospel; because they are 
attended with some degree of obscurity, is to act in as fall 
contrariety to the dictates of philosophy, as to those of 
revelation. No follower of J. J. Rousseau could blame us, 
without reproaching himself, if, arguing from the erroneous 
principles of his master, we should make the following de- 
clarations — <( Natural philosophy abounds ivith incredible 
gi thing.?, ivhich no sensible man can either conceive or admit, 
*< I have arteries, it is said, which carry my blood, witl? a 
*' sensible pulsation, from the heart to the extremities of 
" my body ; and veins, which, without any pulsation, re- 
" conduct that blood to the heart : but, since the union of 
'" the arteries and veins is, to me, an inconceivable m vs- 
*' tery, I cannot admit the generally-received opinion, re- 
'* specting the circulation of the blood. I see that the nee- 
" die o^ the compass perpetually turns itself toward t^jo 
" pole, and I have observed, that the loadstone commuui- 
" cates to it this disposition : but, as it cannot be ascertained 
" how all this is effected, I look upon the voyages of 
" Anson and Cook, which are said to have been performed 
i( by means of the compass, just as infidels are accustomed* 

(i to 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. _ $$$ 

<( to look upon the Gospel. I will no longer encrease the 
*' number of those icieots, who unthinkingly pass over a 
'/ bridge, while they are perfectly unacquainted with the 
" plan upon which it was built ; and who vulgarly depend 
" upon their watches with regard to the regulation of time, 
<( without being thoroughly versed in the mechanism of 
" time-pieces. I will never again be persuaded to take a 
" medical preparation, till I have penetrated into the deep- 
u est mysteries of physic and chymistry. In short, I re- 
" solve neither to eat nor to drink ; neither to sow my 
** grounds, nor to gaze upon the sun ; till I am enabled 
" perfectly to comprehend whatever is mysterious in vege- 
" tition, light and digestion." If the preceding de- 

clarations might reasonably be considered as evident tokens 
of a weak and puerile judgment; the following affirmation 
undoubtedly deserves to be considered in the same point of 
view — ** I grant, that the science of physics has its unfa- 
* thomable mysteries : but, as a philosopher of the first 
" rank ; I insist upon it, that nothing of a mysterious nature 
u should be suffered to pass in religion, that deep meta 

icat science, which has for its objects, the Father or spi- 
" rits, the relation in which those spirits stand to their in- 
" comprehensible Parent, their properties, their light, their 
" nourishment, their growth, their distempers and their 
(< remedies their degeneracy and their perfection." 
Ye, who are anxious to be saluted a>> Lovers of wisdom if 

; is the absurdity of your common objections against the 
Gospel of God our Savior, what poor pretensions have you 
to the boasted name of Philosophers J 

This answer may be supported by the following observ- 
ations. 

In the present world, we serve a kind of spiritual 
apprenticeship to the iruth which is after godliness (a): and 
i: is not usual, hastily to reveal the secrets of an art to such 
as have but lately devoted themselves to any particular 
profession. This privilege is justly reserved for those, 
whose industry and obedience have merited so valuable a 
testimony of their master's approbation. See John xiv. 21. 

A physical impossibility of discovering, at present 
certain obscure truths, forms the vail, by which they are 

^ k effectually 

(a) Tit, i. 1, 



386 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

effectually concealed from our view. In order to form a 
perfect judgment of the material sun, it is necessary, in the 
first place, to take a near survey of it : but this cannot pos- 
sibly be done with bodies of a like constitution with ours. 
The same may be said of the Father of lights. God, as a 
spiritual Sun, enlightens, even now, the souls of the just : 
but, while they continue imprisoned in tenements of clay, 
their views of his matchless glory must necessarily be in- 
distinct ; since they can only behold him through a glass 
darkly (b). Hence, we argue with St. Paul, that, as spiritu- 
al things are spiritually discerned, the natural man can never 
truly comprehend and embrace them, but in proportion as 
he becomes spiritually-minded by regeneration. 

The wise author of our existence initiates us not imme- 
diately into the mysteries, which lie concealed under many 
of our doctrines, for the very same reason, that a mathema- 
tician conceals the most abstruse parts of his science from 
the notice of his less intelligent pupils. If a preceptor 
should affect to bring children acquainted with all the dif- 
ficulties of algebra, without leading them through the first 
rules of arithmetic ; such an attempt would deservedly be 
looked upon as ridiculous and vain. -And is it not equally 
absurd to expect, that the profoundest mysteries of the 
Gospel should be opened to us, before we have properly 
digested its introductory truths, or duly attended to its 
lowest precepts ? 

The Almighty will never perform a useless work, nor 
ever afford an unseasonable discovery. For ih^ practice of 
solid piety, it is by no means necessary, that we should be 
permitted to fathom the depth of every spiritual mystery. 
It is enough, that fundamental truths are revealed, \vith 
sufficient perspicuity, to produce in us that faith, which is 
the mother of charity. When the Gospel has proposed to 
us the truths, which give rise to this humble faith, and pre* 
sented us with such motives, as evidently lead to the most 
disinterested charity ; it has then furnished us with every 
thing we stand in need of, in order to work out for our- 
selves a glorious salvation. The followers of Christ are re- 
quired to tread in the steps of their Master, and not deeply 
to speculate upon the secret things of his invisible 
Kingdom, • 

(b) 1 Cor. xiii. 12. 



THE PORTRAIT OP ST. PAUL. 

If a clear knowledge of the mysterious side of QUI doc- 
trines is no more necessary to man in his present state, 
than an acquaintance with every thing that respecte the art 
of printing, is necessary to a child, who is studying I 
alphabet; why then do we peevishly complain of the 
sacred writers, for net having thro wn light sufficient upon 

2 particular points to satisfy an inordinate curiosii y } 
Our scruples on this head should be silenced by the constant: 
declarations of those very vt ruers, that t he time ofpe 
is not yet arrived ; that they themselves were acquainted, 
but in part, with the mysteries of the Kingdom : and that 
the language of mortality is unsuitable to the sublimity or 
divine things. The sea has its unfathomable abysses, and 
an extent unknown to the most experienced navigators: 
but, notwithstanding all this uncertainty, the merchant is 
perfectly contented, if he can but glide securely over its 
ice to the port for which he is bound. 

If we are r ,ere in a state of probation, it is rea- 

sonable that our u?i. - n <% as well as our vjiii^ should be 

brought to the trial. But how shall tne Almighty proceed 
to make proof either of the self-sufficiency, or the diffidence, 
of our understanding ? No happier method could certainly 
be adopted, than that of pointing us to such truths as are 
partly manifest and partly concealed ; that we may search 
them ouL with diligence, if there is a possibility of compre- 
hending them ; or, if they are placed above the highest 
stretch of our faculties, expect with patience a future revel- 
ation cf them. 

To acquire and manifest dispositions of a truly divine 
nature, is possible only under a religious ceconomy, whose 
doctrines are in some degree mysterious and whose mora- 
lity has something in it pain fa I to human nature. Why 
then, do those persons, who affect to be wiser than i 
neighbours, universally lake offence at such a religion : If 
a mysterious vail is thrown over the operations of nature, 
and the workings bit providence; why should we expect 
the more wonderful operations of grace to be laid unreserv- 
edly open to every eye? Philosophy, it is presumed, will 
net dare thus foolishly to destroy the rules of analogy. 
Humility is necessary to the perfection of our understanding, 
5s than sagacity and penetration: on which account 
K k % Qz-D 



y&$ THE 1'ORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

God is pleased to bring our humility to the test. And thh 
he does, by discovering to us so much of truth as may 
enable us to recognise it on its first appearance 5. at the 
same time, permitting the objects of faith to be surrounded 
with difficulties, sufficient to leave room for the exercise of 
that humble confidence in his veracity, and that true po- 
verty of spirit, which philosophers are pleased to .hold up 
as proper subjects of ridicule. Sound knowledge, however, 
and unaffected humiiily, will always keep pace with each 
other. Hence that memorable confession of Socrates ; All 
that J know, is, that 1 know nothing; and hence that remarka- 
ble declaration of St. Paul ; If any man think, that he knoiveth 
any thing; he knoiveth nothing yet as he ought to know. 

It is impossible, that any thing should have a greater 
tendency to keep man at a distance from God, than that 
arrogant self-sufficiency, with which modern freethinkers 
are usually puffed up. This unhappy disposition must be 
totally subdued, before we can come to the fountain-head of 
pure intelligence (c) : and, to effect this, the Almighty 
permits our understanding to be embarrassed and con- 
founded, till it is constrained to bow before his supreme 
wisdom, in acknowledgment of its own imbecility. But it 
Is always with the utmost difficulty, and not till after a 
thousand vain devices have been practised, that human 
nature can be forced into this state of self-abasement. 
Here Socrates and St. Paul may be regarded as happy 
companions, experiencing, in common, that submissive 
meekness, and that profound humility, which are so terrible 
to many professors of wisdom. And it is but reasonable 
that (he piety of the one, and the philosophy of the other, 
should have been established upon the basis of those rare 
virtues, which formed the ground of the following address 
from Christ to his Father : / thank thee, O Father ! Lord of 
Heaven and earth.' because Thou hast hidden these things from 
the wise and the prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes (d). 

It becomes us so much the more to moderate the sallies of 
an impatient curiosity, with respect to truths of a mysterious 
nature, since Christ himself has given us an example of the 
obedience which is due to the following apostolic precept. — 
Let no man think of himself more highly than he ought to think ; 

but 

(c) Jam s ii 5. (A) Matt. xi. 25. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. SS9 

but let him think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every -man 
the measure of faith (e). This condescending Savior was 

content, as Son of man, to remain in the humble ignorance 
erf which we speak. If, in order to have satisfied his curio- 
sity, with respect to the day of judgment, he had attempted 
toexplore the secret councils of the Almighty, there can be 
no doubt but his gracious Father would have admitted him 
into that impenetrable sanctuary. But he rather chose to 
leave among his followers an example of the most perfect 
respect and resignation to the will of that Father. 

What was said by St. Paul concerning heresies, mav, 
with propriety, be applied to that obscurity, which accom- 
panies the doctrines of the Gospel. There must be heresies 
among you, that they, which are approved, may be made manifest 
(f). Mens, de Voltaire, who saw not any utility in the 

proof here mentioned by the Apostle, was accustomed to 
censure revelation, because the doctrines it proposes are in- 
capable of such incontestable evidence as mathematical 
problems. He considered not, that lines, circles, and tri- 
angles, falling immediately under the senses, are subjects of 
investigation peculiarly suited to the natural man. He 
recollected not, that many of Euclid's demonstrations are 
as incomprehensible to the greater part of mankind, as the 
mysteries of our holy, religion are incomprehensible to the 
generality of philosophers. And lastly, he perceived not, 
that, if all men were to pique themselves upon their skill in 
mathematics, and were equally interested in the proportions 
of circles, squares, and triangles, as in those relations, which 
subsist between fallen man and an incomprehensible God ; 
there would be excited, in that case, among ignorant mathe-- 
maticians, as many warm disputes as are continually arising 
among ill -instructed christians. 

The justness of these observations will become more ap- 
parent, if we consider the importance of that virtue, which 
is called, in scripture language, The obedience of faith (g). 
Man originally suffered himself to be seduced with the hope 
of wonderful effects to be produced by the fruit of a mysteri- 
ous tree; founding his frail hope upon the simple declaration of 
the tempter. Goot in order to humble the soul, is pleased to 
restore us through the hope of powerful effects to be pro- 
duced by the truths of a mysterious revelation ,* a sweet hope 

K.k 3 whose 

(e) Rom. »L 3, (f) 1 Ccr. xl 19. (-} Rom. xvj. gfc 



290 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

whose only basis is the simple declaration of the God of 
truth. And it is undoubtedly reasonable, in every respect, 
that the cause of our restoration should be thus directly 
opposed to the cause of our fall. The obedience, that is 

unattended with difficulties, can never be regarded as a rea- 
sonable proof of our fidelity to God. Had He merely com- 
manded us to believe, that The ivhole is greater than a part ; 
or that Two and two make four ; in such case, no room would 
have been left for a reasonable distribution of rewards and 
punishments. The Deity could not possibly have been dis- 
obeyed ; since we can no more refuse our assent to these 
manifest truths, than we can deny the existence of the Sun, 
while we are rejoicing in his meridian brightness. It ap- 
pears, therefore, perfectly necessary, that every truth, pro- 
posed to the faith of man in his probationary state, should 
have an obscure, as well as a luminous side, that it may 
leave place for the mature deliberation, and, of consequence, 
for the merit or demerit of those, who are called to the 
obedience of faith. 

To desire a revelation without any obscurity, is to 
desire a day without night, a summer without winter, a sky 
without a cloud. And what should we gain by such an ex- 
change ? Or rather, what should we not lose; if those in- 
tentional obscurities, which conceal some parts of celestial 
truth, should be as needful to man in his present situation, 
as those clouds, which frequently deform the face of the 
heavens, are beneficial to the earth ? The faith, which is 
unaccompanied with any thing mysterious, no more merits 
the name of faith, than the tranquillity of a man, who has 
never been in the way of danger, deserves the name of 
bravery. An expression of our Lord's to one of his doubting 
disciples, is sufficient to throw the most convincing light 
upon this matter : Thomas, said he, because thou hast seen 
me, thou hast believed: but what recompense or praise 
can be due to such a faith ? Blessed are they, that have not 
seen, and yet have believed (h). 

To conclude. What occasion would there be for the 
exercise of either wisdom or virtue, was the one only good 
path presented so clearly to our view, that it would be diffi- 
cult to make choice of any other ? Or to what good purpose 

could 

(h) John xx, 29. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 391 

could true philosophy serve, which has no other use, except 
that of teaching us to regulate our principles and govern our 
actions in a manner more suited to the perfection of our 
nature, than is customary with those, who are led by pre- 
judice and passion ? 

From all these observations, it may be justly argued, that 
to insist upon having religious doctrines without: obscurity, 
and a revelation without mystery, is to destroy the design 
of the Supreme Being, who hath placed us here in a state 
of trial. Jt is to confound the goal with the course, the 
conflict with the triumph, and earth with Heaven. Nay 
more: it is to confound the creature with the Creator. 
That, which is finite, must never hope to comprehend the 
heights and depths of infinity. Archangels themselves 
though endued with inconceivable degrees of wisdom and 
purity, will continually find unfathomable abysses in the 
divine nature. And if so, is it not to abjure good sense, as 
well as revelation, to turn our back upon the temple of 
truth, because there is found in it a most holt/ place, where the 
profane are never suffered to enter, and the furniture of 
which even true worshippers can neither clearly explain, 
nor fully comprehend. 



CHAP. XIV. 

In Answer to the grand Objection of Philosophers against the 
Doctrines of the Gospel, it is argued, that the Advantages of 
the Redemption are extended, in different Degrees, to all Man* 
kind, through evert/ Period of the World. 



A 



S sophistical reasoners had a hundred objections to 
propose against the doctrine of Socrates, who was a true 
philosopher; so the philosophers of this age are industrious- 
ly framing objections to the doctrines of that Gospel, which 
unerring wisdom has announced to the world. To determine, 
whether or not these objections are just and unanswerable, 
we shall here consider that, which appears to be the most 
weighty in the balance of those two companions in error, 
Mons. de Voltaire and J. J. Rousseau. If your doctrine of 
the Redemption, say they, is really as important as you represent 

it; 



592 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PATJt. 

it ; u% has it been preached only for these last eighteen centuries ? 
If it was of so much consequence to mankind, God, without 
doubt , would have published it sooner, and more universally .* 

Answer. The doctrine of the Redemption was not 
primarily necessary to mankind : since there was a time, 
when unoffending man stood in no greater need of a Re- 
deemer, than a healthy person stands in need of a physician. 
At that time, natural religion was suitable to the state of 
man, and the doctrines of deism were the spiritual food of 
his soul. But, as medicine is not less necessary than nutri- 
ment to a sick person, so fallen man stands in need of the 
Gospel, as well as of natural religion. And as strong nou- 
rishment would be a species of poison to a man enervated 
by a raging fever, so the tenets of theism administered alone 
to a sinner, who burns with the disorderly fervors of pride, 
must inevitably prove fatal to the health of his soul. Thus 
the presumption of some philosophers is encreased by the 
doctrines of deism, as the fever of a debilitated patient is 
redoubled by those very cordials, which would encrease the 
strength of a vigorous person. And this may serve as a 
proof, that the natural religion of sinless man, is as little 
adapted to man in his corrupt estate, as the sweet familiarity 
of an affectionate infant, is suitable to the character of a 
daring and disobedient son. 

It is necessary here to observe, that there are two kinds 
of deism ; that of the humble sinner, who is not yet ac- 
quainted with the Gospel, and thai of the presumptuous 
reasoner, who rejects it with contempt. The centurion 
Cornelius, who lived in the practice of piety before he was 
perfectly acquainted with Christ, and the penitent publican 
alluded to by our Lord, were deists of the first class, and 
such as might well be esteemed the younger brothers of 

christians. 

* Mons, deVoltaire in his Philosophical Dictionary attacks Christia- 
nity, under the name of mahometanism, in the following words : " If it 
** had been necessary to the world, it would have existed from the 
M beginning of the world ; it would have existed in every place The 
(i reahometan religion therefore cannot be essentially necessary to 
il man." J.J. Rousseau was perfectly of the same opinion. " I 
•< deny," says this writer in his Emilius, " the necessity of receiving 
" revelation, because this pretended obligation is incompatible with 
w the justice of Gor>. Should there be found in the universe a sin- 
" gle person, to whom Christ had never been preached, the objection 
" would be as forcible on the part of that neglected individual, as 
«« for the fourth part of the human race." 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 393 

christians. The second class is made up of those theisis, 
who trample Revelation under their feet, and who may 
properly be called the presumptuous pharisees of the pre.' 
sent dav. It is the haughty deism of these men, that a 
false philosophy would substitute in the place, of the Gospel. 
The judicious author of The new Theological Dictionary, 
has characterised these two kinds of deism with an accu- 
racy, peculiar to himself. " Deism/* says he, " was once 
" on the high-way from atheism to Christianity ; but to-day 
i( it is usually found upon the road from Christianity to 
et atheism." 

To assert, that the doctrine of the Redemption has been 
announced for no more than eighteen centuries, is to sup- 
pose there can be no appearance of hg«it till the Sun has 
risen above the horizon. So soon as the work of Redemp- 
tion became necessary, in that very day it was announced 
to man. When our first parents had received from their 
merciful judge the sentence that condemned them to mi- 
sery and death, he immediately gave them a promise, that, 
in some future day, a repairer of their evils should be born of 
woman, who should bruise (he head of the Serpent, i. e. who 
should crush, at once, all the power of the tempter, and 
the pride of the sinner. In consequence of this gracious 
covenant, which was, indeed, the first promulgation of the 
Gospel, God implanted in man an interior principle of 
Redemption, a seed of regenerating grace, which should, 
in the end, spring up to everlasting life. Now, this prin- 
ciple was nothing less than a ray from that living word, 
which was afterwards to be visibly united with our nature, 
in order to raise man from his dishonorable fail, and, 
finally, to procure for him a state superior to that, which he 
originally enjoyed. Nothing can be more explicit upon 
this point, than the following declaration of St. John. In 
Him [the living word] itas life ; and the life was the light of 
men. And the light sinned in darkness ; and the darkness, in 
general, comprehended it not. This was, however, the true 
light, which lighieth, more or less, every man, that cometh into 
the world (a). When, therefore, a conceited freethinker 
superciliously exclaims : If the doctrine of the Redemption 
had been necessary, it would have been published in the earliest 
ages of the world — such objection should serve as a manifest 

token 
(a) John i. 4, 9. 



394 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

token of his ignorance in this matter, since that important 
doctrine was mercifully announced to the very first offender. 
If that doctrine was afterwards corrupted by tradition ; 
if rebellious man began to exait himself as his own Savior; 
cr if, through impatience, he set up false mediators, instead 
of patiently expecting the fulfilment of Jehovah's promise ; 
all this evidently proves his extreme need of a Redeemer. 
In short, if the greater part of the Jewish nation rejected 
this divine Savior, in the days of his outward manifestation, 
and if prejudiced deists still continue to reject his offered 
assistance ; all that can be proved by their unrelenting ob- 
stinacy, is, the greatness of their guilt and the depth of their 
depravity: just as the conduct of a patient, who abuses 
his physician, suffices only to demonstrate the excess of his 
delirium. 

Several reasons may be here produced, which might 
have engaged the Father of mercies to defer the external 
manifestation of our promised Redeemer for a period of four 
thousand years. 

1. It is probable, that, as everything is discovered to 
operate gradually in the natural world, the same order 
might be established in the moral world. Even since the 
time of Christ's outward manifestation, the influence of his 
redeeming power has but gradually discovered itself in our 
yet benighted world. He himself compared the Gospel to 
a little leaven, which spreads itself by slow degrees over a 
bulky mass of meal ; and to a small seed, from which a no- 
ble plant is gradually produced. To this we may add, that 
a portion of time, which appears long and tedious to us, ap- 
pears wholly different in the eyes of the everlasting 1 AM, 
before whom a thousand years are no more than a fleeting 
day. 

2. If, immediately after the commission of sin* God had 
sent forth his Son into the world to raise us from our fall, 
before we had experienced the melancholy effects of that 
fall ; such an hasty act, instead of manifesting the perfecti- 
ons of the Deity, would have drawn a vail of obscurity 
between us and them. The divine mercy, discovered in 
Jesus Christ, might then have appeared as insignificant to 
us, as to the arrogant deist ; who, notwithstanding the 
crimes with which the world has been polluted for near 

six 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 395 

six thousand years, and in spite of those which he himself 
has added to the prodigious sum, has yet the audacity to 
assert, that there is no necessity for a Redeemer, that man 
is good in his present state, and that he may conduct himself 
honorably through it, without the assistance ^)f regenerating 
grace. Hence, it appears, that the outward manifestation 
of the Messiah was wisely deferred to a period of time far 
removed from ihe commencement of the fall. 

3. While the visible manifestation of Jesus was delayed, 
all things were put into a state of due preparation for so 
great an event. And in the mean-time, the seed of rege- 
neration, which was received by man, after God had pro- 
nounced the first evangelical promise, was as sufficient to 
save every penitent sinner, as the dawn of day is sufficient 
to direct every erring traveller. 

This merits an explanation. The first man, to whom 
the promise of Redemption was' made, contained in himself 
the whole of his posterity : and this promise wonderfully 
powerful, as being the word of God (b), bad an indescribable 
effect upon the v\hoIe human race, implanting in man a 
need of regeneration, a. Logos, a reason, a conscience, a light; 
in short, a good principle, which, in every sincere enquirer 
after truth, has been nourished by the grace of God, and 
seconded by the pious traditions of Patriarchs, Prophets, 
Apostles, Evangelists, or true Philosophers. Unhappy is 
it for those, who, stifling in themselves every gracious senti- 
ment, have treated this internal principle, as the Jews ence 
treated their condescending Lord, and as obstinate sinners 
still continue to treat a preached Gospel. If such are not 
saved, it is not through the want of an offered Savior, but be- 
cause they have wilfully shut their eyes against the twilight, 
the opening dawn, or the meridian brightness, of the Gos- 
pel Day. 

Nothing can be more unreasonable than the objection, 
to which we now return an answer. To argue, that God 
would be unjust, if, having given a Savior to the world, he 
should not reveal that Savior in an equal degree to all man- 
kind; is to argue, that God is unjust, because, having given 
a Sun to the earth, he has not ordained that Sun equally to 
enlighten and chee; every part of the globe. Again — To 

insinuate, 
(b) Heb. iv. 12. 



396 THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 

insinuate, that Christ cannot properly be regarded as the 
Savior of mankind, because innumerable multitudes of 
men are not even acquainted with his name ; is to insi- 
nuate, that the Sun is utterly useless to the deaf^ because 
they have never heard the properties of that Sun described, 
and to the blind, because they have never seen his cheering 
beams. Lastly. To conclude that the 

Gospel is false, because it has not rapidly spread itself over 
the whole world, or because it is not observed to operate 
in a more hasty manner the happy changes it is said to pro- 
duce ; — -thus to argue, is to reason as inconclusively, as a 
man who should say ; The tree, that produces Jesuits' bark, 
is an insignificant and useless tree; For, 1st, It grows not in 
every country : 2dly, It has not always been known : S:Uy, 
There are persons in the country where it grows, who look 
upon it as no extraordinary thing : and 4duy, Many, who 
havj apparently given this medicine a proper trial, have 
found it unattended with those salutary effects so generally 
boasted of. 

Turning the arguments of our philosophers against their 
own system, we affirm, that the Messiah was manifested 
in a time and place peculiarly suited to so great an event. 
With respect to the time; He lived and died, when the hu- 
man species had arrived at the utmost pitch of refinement 
and learning. Had He appeared two or three thousand 
years sooner, Pie must have visited the world in its infant 
s ale, wdiile ignorance and barbarity reigned among the 
nations : but, in the days of Augustus and Tiberias, man- 
kind may be said to have reached their highest degree of 
maturity, witii re pect to knowledge and civilization. 
Now, as it is necessary, that he, who bears testimony to 
any memorable transaction, should be a man and n ;t a 
child; so it is equally necessary, that Christ shoul.l have 
appeared in the most polished peri< d of the world, as 
Mediator between God and man. 

Deists sometimes tell us, that the force of historic evi- 
dence is greatly diminished by lapse of time, as a taper 
placed at too great a distance loses much of its brightness. 
If Christ then had offered Himself a ransom for all, many 
ages sooner than unerring wisdom had ordained, the incre- 
dulous might have urged, that the history of a miraculous 

event, 



THE PORTRAIT OK ST. PAUL. 39* 

event, reported to have happened in so remote a period of 
time, was most probably corrupted by uncertain tradition, 
and rendered unworthy of credit. 

On the other hand, if the accomplishment of the pro- 
mise had been delayed some thousands of years longer, ihe 
faith and patience of believers would have been called to a 
proof incompatible with the weakness of humanity. And 
the impious might have said, concerning the first coming 
of Christ, what they have long ago tauntingly spoken of 
his second : Where is the promise of his coming ? for since 
the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the 
beginning of the creation (c). 

What is here observed, with respect to the age in which 
the Messiah was cut off ; is no less true of the season, the 
day, and the hour. He offered himself a sacrifice for the ' 
sins of the people in the noon day, at the solemn feast of the 
Passover, and at that season of the year, which naturally 
invited the dispersed jews to visit the holy city. The 
place was n ^ e tne &*?* peculiar^ adapted to such an 
event : a country, in which the precise of Christ's coming 
had been frequently repeated* Moreover, He became obe- 
dient unto death at the time predicted by the Prophets ; 
before a people, who possessed the oracles of God ; under 
the eyes of the high priest ; before Herod the King, toge- 
ther with the grand council of the nation ; before Pilate, 
who was lieutenant of the greatest prince on earth ; at the 
gates of Jerusalem, in the centre of Judea, and nearly in 
the centre of the then known world. Thus, the"ex« 

ternal manifestation of our glorious Redeemer mav be 
compared to a Sun, whose rising was preceded by a dawn, 
which benignly opened upon the first inhabitants of the 
earth ; and whose setting is followed by a lovely twilight, 
which must necessarily continue, till He shall again ascend 
above our horizon, to go down no more. In this 

point of view, the scriptures uniformly represent the 
sacrifice of Christ. St. Paul expressly declares, that, by 
one offering, He hath perfected for ever them, that are sanctified: 
i. e.'all those,, in every nation, who fear God and work 
righteousness (d). We argue, therefore, with this Apostle, 
that, as by the offence of one, judgment came upon ail men to 

L I condemna- 

(c) 2 Pet iii. 4. (d) Heb. x. 14. Acts x. 55. 



393 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PA-UL. 

condemnation, even* so, by tlve righteousness of one, the free 
gift came upon all men unto justification of life (e). 

From these observations we conclude — First: That 
the Gospel has been more or less clearly announced, ever 
since the time, in which the Redeemer became necessary 
to man. Secondly: That' Jesus Christ openly manifested 
Himself in a time- most proper for such a discovery. 
Thirdly: That the work of redemption is a& necessary to 
mankind, as the- assistance of medicine is necessary to 
those, who are struggling under some dangerous disease* 
Fourtftk/ : That an explicit knowledge of the Redeemer and 
his salvation is as desirable to those,, who- feel themselves* 
ruined by sin, as; the certain knowledge of a physician, 
possessed of sovereign remedies, is consoling to the patient, 
who apprehends his life to he in imminent danger. 
Fifthly : As languishing infants may be restored by the n>e«. 
dickies of a physician-, with whom they are totally unac- 
quainted ; so jews, Mahometans, and heathens, provided 
they walk according to the light they enjoy, are undoubU 
edly saved by Jesus Ch? e 't, though they have no clear con- 
ception of the astonishing means employed to secure them 
irom perdition* And lastly : That the grand argument 
advanced against the Gospel by Mons. de Voltaire and 
J.- J. Rousseau, is abundantly more specious than solid* 



i 



CHAP. xy. 

Reflections upon the Danger to which modern Deists expose 

themselves. 



N refuting the objection of superficial moralists proposed 
in the preceding chapter, we may have afrbrded them, per- 
haps, ground for another, full as specious and solid. 

Ob j e c ti o n . Jf it l)£ allowed,, thatiin every ag& salvation 
has Been extended to all due. true, worshippers of God, wliether 
they have been pious Jews, such asJmeph^ Hczekiali, and Jo* 
siah : just men among the gentiles, such as Mdchisedec and* 
Aristides ; or heathen philosopliers ivho have* walked in the fear 
of God, such as Pythagoras, Socrates and Plato — And if all 

these 
(e) Kom. v. 18, 



TfTE PORTRAIT OF ST. PATJL. 399 

these virtuous men have teen saved, without subscribing to the 
doctrines of the Gospel ; why may not deists and modern philo- 
sophers be permitted to enjoy the same salvation, while they 
reject those doctrines ? 

Answer. Tbere are three grand dispensations of 
grace. Under the first, every heathenish and unenlight* 
ened nation must be ranked ; the jews under the second; 
and christians under the third, which is a dispensation 
abundantly more perfect than either of the former. The 
followers of Mahomet may be classed with modern jews, 
since they are deists of the same rank, and have equally 
deceived themselves with respect to that great Prophet, 
who came for the restoration of Israel. 

Those jews, mahometans, and heathens, who fear God 
and xvork righteousness, are actually saved by Jesus Christ. 
Christ is the Truth and the Li^hl : and these sincere wor- 
shippers receiving all the rays of truth, with which they 
are visited, afford sufficient proof, that they would affection- 
ately admire and adore the Sun of righteousness Himself, 
were the intervening mists removed, by which He is 
concealed from their view. But it is wholly different with 
those, who, beholding this divine Sun as He is revealed in 
the Gospel, determinately close their eyes against Him, 
and contemptuously raise a cloud of objections to vail Him, 
if possible, from the view of others. Virtuous heathens 
manifested a love for truth; while many of our philosophers, 
in the pride of their hearts, reject and despise it. The 
former wrought out their salvation, though favored only 
with the glimmering dawn of an evangelical day : the 
latter, surrounded with the meridian brightness of that day, 
are anxiously seeking the bhadowy coverts of uncertainty 
and error. The former were saved, according to that 
apostolic declaration : Glory, honor and peace to every man 
that worketh good, to the christian and the jew first, and also 
to the gentile: for there is no respect of persons with God (f). 
And of this numbers as the Apostle Paul, who obtained 
mercy, because he was ignorantly a persecutor of the truth, 
living, at the same time, in all good conscience before God(g). 
Nor can it be doubted, but the same grace, with which St. 
Paul was visited in these circumstances, will, in various 

L 1 2 degrees 

(f) Boni, ii, ID, 1 1. (g) 1 Tim. i. 13, 



400 THE PORTRAIT OFST. PAUL. 

degrees, illumine and purify every soul, that resembles him 
in uprightness and sincerity. The latter will be 

condemned by virtue of the following declarations: This is 
the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men 
loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were 
evil(h). God will render unto them, that are contentious and 
do not obey the truth, indignation and wrath, tribulation and 
anguish upon every soul of man that doeth evil, of the christian 
and thejeiv first, and also of the gentile (i). 

From these citations we may infer, that, in several 
proportions, the salvation of virtuous heathens will differ 
as greatly from the salvation of true christians, as the briU 
liancy of an agate differs from that of a diamond. Many 
mansions, and different degrees of glory, are prepared in 
the house of our Father (k). There is one glory of the sun, 
and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars ; 
for one star dfferethfrom another star in glory* So also will 
it le in the resurrection of the dead, when God will render 
unto every man according to his works (1). 

The highest degrees of glory are reserved, by the righ- 
teous Judge of all the earth, for the most faithful of hi* 
servants. The honorable privilege of being seated at the 
right hand of Christ will be conferred upon those, who have 
trodden in their Master's footsteps, through the narrowest 
and most difficult paths of resignation- and obedience. On. 
the other hand, God will display the most terrible effects 
of his righteous anger upon those, who have trampled 
under foot the greatest and most frequent offers of divine 
grace; according to that exclamation of the Apostle: 
How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation <(m) ! 
Since thus obstinately to despise the highest degrees of 
glory which may be. attained under the Gospel, and dar- 
ingly to bx-ave the threatenings denounced against those 
who reject that Gospel, discovers in the heart a cold 
indifference to real virtue, together with a sovereign con-, 
tempt for the divine author of it. 

As true virtue, like a Leautiful plant, is continually ris- 
ing to a state of maturity ; so true philosophy is constantly 
aspiring after the highest attainable degrees of wisdom and 

purity. 

(h) John iii. 19. (i) Rom. ::. 5, 9. (k) John xiv. X 

(1) 1 Cor. xv. 41. (m) Hcb. ii. 3. 



THE PORTRAIT OF ST, PAUL. 40i 

purity. If any man neglects those means, which conduce 
to the perfection of virtue, when they are once proposed to 
him ; he gives evident proof, that he has neither that in- 
stinct of virtue nor that true philosophy, which cannot but 
choose the most excellent end, together with the surest 
means of obtaining it. What would our philosophers say 
to a man, who, affecting an extraordinary desire after rich- 
es, and being called to receive a large quantity of gold, 
should inconsistently refuse it, . in the following terms : 
Many persons have been ricJi enough ivitk a little money, to 
prevent them from starving ; and I have no inclination to exceed 
them in point of fortune? The objection proposed in this 
chapter is founded upon a like sophism, and amounts but to 
an equal argument": Jews and virtuous heathens have received 
assistance sufficient effectually to secure their salvation, and ice 
have not presumption enough to desire any extraordinary ad- 
va n tage above them . 

It is difficult to form a just idea of the conceitedness of 
those boasted moralists who despise every help afforded 
bv the Gospel, because some heathens, without such -assist- 
ance, have been acceptable to God. We may compare 
it to the supposed self-sufficiency of a contemptible -subal- 
tern officer, who, being presented with a more honorable 
coaimis-sioB from his prince, should reject it, and cry out : 
" The commission is false, and they who present it are no 
" better than deceivers. I have no anxiety to <juit my 
" present post. I aspire to no greater honors than those 
" which 1 possess. Many thousands have faithfully served 
" fail majesty in the capacity of subalterns ; nay, common 
M soldiers themselves have received testimonies of his 
" royal approbation : and why should my services afford 
" him less satisfaction than theirs }" Was a corporal in mv 
hearing, thus to excuse his rejection of a monarch's offered 
kindness, J should suppose, either that he had no just con- 
oepfcrons of the honor intended him, or that he was with- 
held from accepting that^onor^ by motives too umvorthv 
to be avowed. But this excuse would be imoknt as 

weii as pitiful, had the terms of the commission ran thus : — 
" Either serve your prince with fidelity, in the post to 
" which he exalts you, or expect to be treated with the 
u utmost severity." 

LI 3 Now 



4^2 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

Now such is the rase of all those, who obstinately reject. 
ihe Gospel, and perseveringly trample under foot the richest 
offers of unmerited grace. They either reject the truths of 
revelation through haughtiness of. spirit; or thev are held 
back from embracing them, through the secret gratification 
of some inordinate appetite. Observe here, the ground of 
those memorable declarations of our blessed Lord : Preach 
the Gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized 
shall be saved; but he, that believeth not, shall be damned (n). 
He that believeth not the Son, after hearing him evangeli- 
cally announced, shall not see life ; but the wrath of God 
ahideth on him. He is condemned already : for every one, 
that doeth evil, hateth the light of the Gospel, neither cometh to 
the light, lest his deeds should be reproved (o). 

Upon this principle, as conformable to experience as to 
sound reason, the Gospel is not absolutely rejected, except 
by those, who are either visibly corrupted, as Pilate and 
Felix, or secretly depraved, as Judas and Caiaphas. And 
it w r as (o persons of this character, that Christ addressed 
himself in the following terms : How can ye believe, who re* 
ceive honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cenneth 
from God only (p) ? If any man will do the will of Him that 
sent me, and follow the light that is imparted to him, he 
shall know of the doctrine, whether it be of God, or whether I 
zpeak of myself (q). Hence, when any, who have been 
consecrated to Christ by baptism, are seen withdrawing 
from the footstool of their Master to the schools of philoso- 
phy, or, at least, making no advances in true holiness ; we 
may rest assured, that their decline is caused, or their spi- 
ritual growth prevented, by the secret indulgence of some 
vicious inclination. These philosophizing moralists and 
these lukewarm disciples may be compared to the fruit, 
that falls beiore it has attained to the perfection of its spe- 
cies : examine such fru t, and you will find under a beau- 
tiful appearance, either a destructive worm, or loathsome 
roUei ness. Such is the apostatizing deist under the most 
spec jous forms he can possibly assume. 

When J J. Rousseau expressed himself in the follow- 
ing terms ; if God judges of faith by works, then to be a good 

man 

(n) Mark xvi. 15, 16. (o) John iii. 18, 36. (p) John v. 44. 
(q) John vii. 17. 



THE PORTRAIT Ol' ST. PAUL 403 

man, is to be a real believer : he was not far beside „ihe truth, 
provided that, by a good man, he intended one, who lives 
in temperance, justice, and the fear of God ; since every man, 
in whom these virtues are discoverable, is assuredly prin- 
cipled in the true faith. Such a one is a real believer, ac- 
cording to thatceconomy of grace, under which Job, josiah, 
and Socrates, shone out to the glory of God ; men, who 
either possessed principles of faith, or whose best actions 
are no more to be admired than those of our domestic 
animals. 

This writer had less distinct views of truth, when he 
added; Tlie true christian is the just man; unbelievers are the 
wicked: since there are just men, who are not yet christians, 
as there are studious persons, who cannot yet be accounted 
profound scholars. Moreover, there are many, who, like 
the centurion Cornelius, do not yet believe the Gospel, be- 
cause they have never heard that Gospel explained with 
precision and fidelity : and surely such deserve not to be 
termed absolutely unjust men. The latter proposition ap- 
proaches indeed nearer the truth, Unbelievers are the wicked: 
yet this is false; except the term unbeliever be taken for one, 
who obstinately disbelieves the Gospel: since a good man, 
who receives the first part of the Apostle's Creed, may yet, 
like Nathaniel and Nicodemus, be so forcibly held back by 
involuntary prejudice, with respect to the other parts of 
the same Creed, that he may fluctuate long between truth 
and error. It is by propositions so vague and insidious, 
that our philosophers delude themselves, and beguile their 
disciples. 

But, replies J. J. Rousseau, have we power to believe, or 
not to believe ? Is tlie not being able to argue well imputed to us 
as a crime ? Conscience informs not, what we are to think, but 
what we are to do : it teaches us not to reason well, but to act 
well. And are all the faculties of man, except his con- 
science, to be considered as utterly useless, with regard to 
this important matter ? Let it, however, be granted, that a 
wicked and haughty person has it not in his power to 
believe; yet it is highly necessary that he should fear £he 
truth, so long as he gives himself up either to actions or 
inclinations, that are manifestly evil. Thus, the conscious 
robber can never overcome his fear of mstice, so long as he 

is 



404 THE PORTRAIT QV ST. FAVJ,. 

is disposed to continue his iniquitous practices : but if, 
after making full restitution, he should become sincerely 
upright, maintaining a conscience void of offence toward 
Goi> and toward man, he will tremble no more at the idea 
of judges, tribunals, or executions. 

It if be asked, what secret vice it was, that would not 
suffer so honest a man as J. J. Rousseau to embrace the 
Gospel ? Without searching into the anecdotes of his life, 
we may rest satisfied with the discovery he has made of 
his own heart, in this single sentence : What can be more 
transporting to a noble soul than the pride of virtue / Such 
was the pride which made him vainly presume, that he had 
power sufficient to conquer himself, without invoking the 
assistance of God ; and by which he was encouraged lo 
assert, that the doctrines of the Gospel were such as no sen* 
Mibie man could either conceive or admit. Such was the 

virtuous pride, which would not suffer the pharisees to re- 
ceive the Immiliating truths of the Gospel, and which fillet! 
the heart of Caiaphas with jealousy and hatred against 
Christ. 

There is no species of pride more insolent than that, 
which gives rise to the following language, " It is asserted/" 
** that God so loved the world, as to give his only-begotten 
tf Son, that whosoever belkveth in him should not pemh 9 but 
*' have everlasting life. These tidings, whether they be 
T * true or false, are highly acceptable to many: but, for 
* € my own jparf, I openly declare, that I reject, with con- 
** tempt, the idea of such a favor. I read with attention 
" those writings, which tend to unfold the mysteries of 
** nature ; but resolve never to turn over those authors, 
** who vainly attempt to establish the truth of the Gospel. 
m This subject, though k has occupied the thoughts and 
* x engaged the pens of eryquit rng students for these seven- 
m teen hundred years, I shall ever regard as cm worthy my 
" attention. I leave it to the vulgar, who ate easily per- 
** suaded of its importance. My virtues are sufficient to 
*'* expiate my crimes, and on these I will resolutely depend, 
ft as my sole -mediators before Go : d." If this is impli- 
citly the language of every man, who obstinately rejects 
the doctrines of the Gospef; what heights cf presumption, 
and What depths of depravity, must lie open, in the souls 

of 



THE PORTRAIT C? ST, VAVL. 4r05 

of such, to the eye of Omniscience ! Reason and Reve- 
lation agree to condemn them. Behold the ground of their 
sentence: Whosoever exalieth himself shall be abased ; and he 
that humbleth himself shall be exalted : for God rcsisteth the 
proud, and giveth grace to the lumible (r). 

Reason itself is sufficient to discover, that, before the 
Supreme Being, nothing can appear more detestable ihan 
the pride of a degenerate and ungrateful creature. And if 
.so, the deists of Socrates' time must have been far less cul- 
pable than those of the present day. The former, conscious 
of the uncertainty with which they were encompassed, 
made use of every help ihey could procure in the pursuit of 
truth, wilh unwearied assiduity. The latter, presuming 
upon their own sufficiency, decide against doctrines of the 
utmost importance, without impartially considering the evi- 
dences produced in their favor. The former, by carefully 
examining every system of morality proposed to their deli- 
beration, discovered a candor and liberality becoming those, 
who were anxiously feeling after God, if haply they might 
fad him (s). The latter, by condemning Revelation, with- 
out calmly attending to the arguments of its advocates, 
manifest a degree of prejudice, that would be unpardonable 
in a judge, but which becomes execrable in a criminal, who 
is pressed by the strongest reasons to search out the truth. 

Plato, in the sixth book of his Republic, introduces his 
Master marking out the dispositions necessary to a virtuous 
man. Let us begin, says Socrates, by recounting what qualities 
are necessary to him, who would one day become an honest man 
andi a true philosopher. The first quality, is the love of truth, 
wji&h he ought to seek after in every thing and by every means ; 
true philosophy being absolutely incompatible icith the spirit of 
delusion. He, who has a sincere desire to obtain wisdom, can- 
not confine himself to things, that are here below, of which he 
can acquire but an uncertain knowledge. He is born for truth, 
and he tends to it with an ardor, which nothing is able to 
restrain. Ye, who oppose philosophy to Revelation, 

and reject, without thoroughly investigating, the doctrines 
of the Gospel; can you be said to discover an attachment 
to truth as. sincere as that of Socrates ? Bo ye not rather 
esteem that an excessive fondness for truth, or even a dan- 
gerous 
(r) Lukexiv. 11. 1 Pet v. 5. (s) Acts xvi!. 2~. 



406 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

gerous species of enthusiasm, which ihe wisest heathens 
have looked upon as the first disposition .requisite to sun 
honest man ? 

Plato and his master, who scrupulously acknowledged 
the truth wherever they discovered it, were assuredly in a 
state of acceptance before God, without an explicit ac- 
quaintance with jesus Christ : for where the Almighty hath 
not strewed, there will He never expect to gather ; and 
where He hath scattered only the first truths of the Gospel, 
there He never will require that precious fruit, which He 
expects to be produced by the highest truths of Revelation. 
T'hus the husbandman is content to reap nothing but barley 
in a field, where nothing but barley has been sown. But \\\ 
after sowing the same field with the purest wheat, it should 
produce only tares with a few scattered ears of barley ; he 
would, undoubtedly, express a degree of surprize and dis- 
pleasure, at having his reasonable expectations so strangely 
disappointed. 

In the new Testament, we find a remarkable parable to 
this purpose, where mankind are considered as the do- 
mestics of God's immense household. In this parable, the 
Almighty is represented as collecting his servants together, 
and confiding to the care of each a separate loan, to be 
employed for trie mutual interest of the covenanting parties. 
To one of his domestics he imparts five talents ; to another 
two ; while a third has no more than a single talent com- 
mitted to his charge : but all are required so to occupy, that 
their gains may be proportionate to the several sums .en- 
trusted to their fidelity. Now, ijf the christian with five 
talents of spiritual knowledge acquires no advantage over 
the jew, who has received but tivo ; is it not evident, that 
lie has acted ins part of an unfaithful servant i Nay, he is 
to be esteemed even more unprofitable than that careless 
heathen, who suffers his single talent to lie unimproved ; 
since amidst all his trifling gains, he has slothfuily concealed 
three valuable talents, while the other lias buried but one. 
But were the first and the last to derive equal advantage 
from the disproportionate privileges permitted them to 
enjoy ; while the latter would be received as a good and 
faithful servant, the former might deservedly be treated with 
an unusual degree of severity by his insulted Lord. This 

parable 



T«£. PORTRAIT OF" ST. PAUL. 40r 

parable may assist us fc> conceive, that a philosopher, who 
is called by baptism to evangelical perfection, and yet con- 
tents himself with practising the morality of a heathen, has 
not in reality so much solid virtue as a sincere deist bred up 
m the; bosom of paganism. 

Our progress in morality, like our advancement in 
science, is to be estimated by considering the circumstances 
in which we are placed, and the privileges we enjoy, A 
dramatic piece, composed by a child or a negro, might be 
received* with plaudits, which would be justly hissed off the 
stage, had it been prod: iced by a Shakes-pear or a Corneille. 
A traveller, who expresses his admiration at the address 
with which savages manage a hatchet of stone, would' ex- 
press eqaaF astonishment at the weakness of his countrymen, 
should he see them casting* aside their axes of iron, and 
felling their trees with ili-fbrmed implements of flint. Thus, 
after admiring the successful efforts of Socrates, who drew 
many sacred truths from the chaos of paganism ; how aston« 
ishingrs it, to behold modem philosophers patching up a con- 
fused system of detstieal morality, to be substituted in place of 
the sublimer doctrines, and the purer morality of the Gospel. 
Wherever such retrograde reasoners are discovered, their 
insignificant labors must be universally deplored by the 
lovers of truth. But when these champions of false wisdom 
endeavour to bury, under the ruins of christian it y, those im- 
portant truths, which heathens themselves have formerly 
discovered ; it is impossible to behold their impious efforts, 
without feeling all the warmth of an honest indignation. 

We shall conclude this Essay, by transcribing a part of 
that ancient testimony, which was borne by Lactantius to 
the power of those doctrines for which we contend. 

That which many have discovered, by the assistance of 
natural religion, to be their indispensible duty , but whictt. they 
have- never been able eitlier to practise themselves, or to see exem* 
plified in the conduct of philosophers ; all this the- sacred 
doctrines of the Gospel assist us to perform, because that Gospel 
is wisdom in its highest excellence. How shall philosophers per- 
suade others, while they themselves continue in a state of per* 
plexity? Or how shall they repress the passions of others, 
while, by giving way to their own, tliey tacitly confess that 
nature, in spite of all their efforts y is still triumphant P But 

daily 



£> 



408 THE PORTRAIT OF ST. PAUL. 

daily experience testifies, liow great an influence the ordinances 
of God have upon the heart,— Give trie a passionate, slanderous, 
implacable man; and, through the power of our Gospel, I will, 
return him to you gentle as a lamb. Give me an avaricious 
man, whose greediness of gain will suffer him to part with 
nothing : and I will return him to you so liberal, that he will 
give away his money by handfuls. Bring me a man, who 
trembks at the approach of pain and death : ere long, he shall 
look with contempt upon crosses, fires, and even the bull of 
Phalaris itself . Present me with a debauchee, an adulterer, 
a man wholly lost to good manners : you shall shortly behold him 
an example of sobriety, uprightness, and continence. Give mt 
a cruel and blood-thirsty man : Ms ferocious disposition shall 
suddenly be succeeded by real cleme?icy. Give me an unjust 
man, a stupid person , an extravagant sinner : you shall shortly 
behold him scrupulously just, truly wise, and leading a life of in- 
nocence.— Such is the power of heavenly wisdom, that it is no 
sooner shed abroad in the heart, but, by a single effort, it chases 
awayfollyJhe mother of sin. To compass thzse invaluable ends, 
a man is under no necessity of paying sa'aries to masters of 
philosophy, and passing whole nights in meditating upon their 
works. Every necessary assistance is imparted without delay, 
with ease, and free from cost ; if there be not wanting an 
attentive ear, and a heart desirous of wisdom. The sacred 
source to which we point, is plenteous, cverfloiving, and open to 
all?nen: the celestial light, we announce > indiscriminately rises 
upon all, who open their eyes to behold it. 

What philosopher has ever done so much ? Who among them 
is able to perform such wonders ? After having passed their 
lives in the study of philosophy , it appears, that they h'dve neither 
bettered themselves nor others, when nature causes them any 
great resistance. Their wisdom serves rather to cover, than to 
eradicate, their vices. Whereas our divine instructions, i. e. 
the doctrines of the Gospel, so totally change a man, that you 
ivould no longer know him for the same person. Lact. Lib. iii. 
cap. 26. 



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